Homecoming
by Nyx6
Summary: Sequel to 'Who Do You Love' and 'Bump In The Night.' Now an established couple, Lauren and Dean head back to her hometown for a good old class reunion. Sounds great, right? What could possibly go wrong? Well, throw in an ex-boyfriend who doesn't want to let go and you might just have your answer...
1. Boyfriend Of The Year

**Hey, hey kids...we're back again, with a new Dean and Lauren, multi-chapter this time. Takes place right after 'Bump in the Night' timewise and before they get Boomer.**

 **Plenty of protective, angry, loving Dean in this one, so if that's your thing, feel free to come on in.**

 **Ready to do this again? Let's go for it...without further ado...**

* * *

 **Boyfriend Of The Year**

A wise man once said that the end of one story was the beginning of another – or perhaps it was a quote from a movie.

I can't remember now.

Either way the cruel fact remains that they were right and I was wrong. _Happily Ever After_ is not an actual thing and life – unlike romantic comedies – doesn't stop on that ending kiss scene or a montage during the credits where everyone's dancing and throwing shapes at a wedding and generally having lots of fun.

Life – _real life_ that is – just keeps on going. Complete with the stresses and the trials and tribulations that it was totally, unfairly full of before. The only difference in _my_ case however, was that I no longer had to deal with them alone. I was part of a functioning couple and although we had only been together for less than two months, it was easily the happiest few weeks I'd ever known. In fact, as far as _I_ was concerned the future was rosy.

Yeah, it turned out I was wrong.

The letter that started the whole sorry mess of it was handed over in the hotel one morning as Dean and I had checked out of our room. I recognized Kelly's scruffy handwriting instantly and I absently tore it open as we walked towards the car. Seth and Roman were already waiting out for us, the trunk popped open in a not-so subtle hint.

"You guys are late this morning," Seth smirked at us, "Care to tell us why?"

Dean grunted,

"No – _twice_."

" _Dean_ ," I hissed, in tones of mock outrage, trying to look stern and failing, " _Way_ too much."

It was a dance that the four of us went through most mornings, thanks to the ridiculously close bond their team had. I'd figured out pretty soon into our relationship that everything – _everything_ – got shared with his boys and I'd slowly grown used to the endless amounts of teasing.

Not that I let on.

"What?" Dean shrugged, swinging up our cases and making room for them, "We're all adults here."

"Well _some_ of us are."

As I folded my arms like an unhappy parent, Roman chuckled and swung open the door. As usual they had hired a monster-sized rental and I had to cling onto his arm to climb in. Once I was aboard however, he swung the door shut again as he and Dean took the two seats up front. Seth slammed the trunk and hopped in beside me and we were once again ready to take the show on the road.

"What's that?" he asked as Roman swung us from the parking lot, another town ticked off the ever growing list. He was looking at my hands and glancing down towards them, I realized I was still holding the letter I'd never read,

"Oh, I don't know. My best friend sent it."

"The arm porn girl, right?"

"Kelly."

"Yep, that's the one."

As I pulled loose the folded up page from the envelope, I briefly wondered what my best friend would have thought of the name. In all honestly she would have probably preferred _Blonde Bombshell_ , or _Vixen_ or _Seductress_ but _Arm Porn Girl_ would do. The _bigger_ question was what the hell was she sending me and as my eyes cast over it, I couldn't help but smile,

"Uh oh."

"What?" Dean shot back, turning instantly, his boyfriend _spidey-sense_ on sudden full alert. In response, Seth lent over the seats in between us and skim read the decorated paper with a frown,

" _Class reunion_?"

Dean sighed loudly, slumping back into the fabric again with a groan,

"Please tell me you're fuckin' kiddin'?"

"Sorry man, I'm just reading what it says."

"A class _reunion_?"

Slowly I looked up at him, tearing my eyes away from the invite just long enough to clue into the growing debate. Truthfully I had only been kind of _half_ -listening. I was far too excited to concentrate on spoken word. A class reunion? It was _literally_ perfect because for the first time ever I would have something to show. Not only did I have a career in television – well, backstage but I would naturally talk it up – but I would also be attending with my smoking hot boyfriend who –

Oh, wait a minute.

 _Didn't want to go_.

"Huh?" I looked up, eyes widening in panic, "Why do you say that? I don't get it, what's wrong?"

Dean snorted roughly,

"They're just _nasty_ , y' know? People that haven't seen each other in years, pretending they're doin' okay for themselves and that their marriages aren't fallin' apart or that their jobs suck and they wish every day they'd never had kids. I don't buy into all 'a that bullshit, it's just a fuckin' waste of time."

Roman cleared his throat,

"Uh, Dean?"

Then he jerked his thumb across his shoulder and Dean's eyes tracked up towards the rear view in between. The minute he saw my – frankly – _crushed_ expression his face fell and he let out a groan,

" _Shit_. I knew it. You want to go don't you?"

"No, no," I answered, far too quickly which instantly blew apart my lie, "I – I mean, I guess on _some_ sort of level it might be nice to see the old gang, but I get where you're coming from, it _is_ kind of silly, so you totally don't have to come. I'll just – you know – go on my own."

Dean sighed heavily and threw his eyes skywards,

"Lauren, you're not goin' on your own to that thing."

"But you said you didn't want to – ,"

"I _know_ and I meant it, but you want to go," he shrugged, "So end of discussion, okay? We'll go."

Grinning like an idiot, I burst through the seats at him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight backwards hug. I squeezed him as fiercely as I was physically able and strained against the seatbelt to kiss him on the cheek.

"You are the best boyfriend ever."

"Don't forget it,"

"Never, I promise, cross my heart."

By the time I unwound myself – reluctantly – from him, he was smiling through his earlier grouchy façade. His hand had come up to rest across my knuckles and as I slowly slid my fingers from his chest, his pads stroked mine and made my shiver a little bit.

 _Ugh_.

The man was totally and utterly irresistible and what was more, he knew it as well, so in the end it was down to Seth to break the moment, which he did with a snort and a shake of his head,

"Man Ambrose, she's got you _whipped_."

As Dean's eyes flickered back to the rear view mirror warningly, I decided to take matters into my own hands and as a bright car passed us on the other side of the road, I reached over and shot a curled fist out, punching Seth across the arm,

" _Yellow car_."

" _Ow_ – what the hell?"

"What?" I shrugged back at him, going for innocent with a dash of wide-eyed, "Don't tell me you've never played the yellow car game before? With all the time _you_ three spend on the road?"

Seth blinked back at me,

" _Sure_ we have, but that was a _taxi_ _cab_ , they don't count."

"Oops," I smiled, "My mistake."

From up in the front behind the wheel Roman chuckled and Dean smirked across at his teammate,

"That's my girl."

"Come on," Seth huffed, "She barely even _grazed_ me,"

I gaped at him,

"What? That was my hardest punch."

"Well then I hate to have to break it to you Lauren, but your _hardest punch_ is not that hard."

"Is too," I pouted, before whining, "Dean tell him."

"Sorry babe, I gotta go with Seth on this one."

" _What_?"

"Princess," Dean offered, turning to look at me, "You hit like a eight year old boy, okay?"

"That's it," I huffed, "I'm taking it back, you are _not_ the world's best boyfriend anymore."

He raised a brow at me and the look made me shiver and tweaked up the corners of my lips.

 _Smoking hot._

"I'm takin' you to your fuckin' reunion aren't I?"

"Alright," I grinned, "You can be the best again."

"When is it?" Roman asked from somewhere in the background as I lost myself staring deep into Dean's blue eyes. Seth nudged me with his elbow and I startled,

"Huh? What?"

"I said when is your reunion baby girl?"

"Oh right,"

That was a very good point. There I was busy getting all excited when I hadn't even checked to make sure we could go.

 _Idiot._

Scanning the bright pink backing of the invite – organized by a classmate by the name of Courtney Reynolds, who had always had a strange affinity for the shade despite being positively perma-tanned herself – I set eyes on the date and then let out a gasp,

"Next Thursday,"

"Crap," Dean hissed in confirmation.

No tapings.

No house shows.

We were officially good to go and I squeaked in excitement and made the guys jump.

"That's it, I'm going to have to buy a new dress. Wait, I'd better text Kelly first and see what colour she's wearing. Could you imagine if we _clashed_?"

"Trust me," Dean drawled back, "The thought keeps me awake at night."

I ignored him as my fingers hammered out a message and then fired it off, my heart beating fast. There were a million different emotions racing through my system and the fact that the reunion was happening in my hometown added in a whole lot of _other_ thoughts as well.

"You can meet Kelly and Brent – oh my god – we can finally meet _Roger_. I need to hold that little dude. I mean, he _is_ my godchild after all. Ooh, we can stay at my mom's house while we're in town. There are _so_ many things I'm dying to show you."

I was beaming as I was gabbling at them – sort of punch-drunk on eagerness – and in the rear view I could see Dean biting back a grin.

"So who else is going to this thing?" Seth asked, "Like, your whole class or just a couple of people?"

"Well," I shrugged, "The invite is to everyone, so whoever wants to turn up I guess."

"Including your ex-boyfriend?" Roman asked steadily and instantly I felt Dean's entire body tense.

"Who, Andy? Oh, wow. Maybe. I don't know."

Dean growled,

"I fuckin' hope he is. Then I can break _his_ arm, see how he likes that."

 _Uh oh._

I hadn't thought about the two of them meeting but now that I had I knew it wouldn't be good. After all, Dean hadn't liked the sound of my ex-boyfriend from the moment I'd mentioned him and it had only gotten worse. Not only had Andy upped and left me when my mom was on her deathbed, but he'd fractured my elbow too. Added to the fact that Andy hadn't been the most _generous_ of lovers when it came to me and the whole thing was a sure-fire recipe to get Dean heated and apparently vengeful too.

"Hey," I whispered, leaning forward and walking my fingers across the back of his neck, "No fighting please, okay?"

He batted me off crossly but then caught my hand and pulled it round to lay a kiss across my palm. For a big tough wrestler who had a reputation for lunacy, he could be super romantic and loving like that and despite the fact that I'd had time to get used to it, his little tender moments still made me catch my breath,

"That asshole fuckin' _hurt_ you Lauren."

"Accidentally, you know that. Besides, I want you to be the talk of the reunion, but _not_ because you beat someone up."

As he glanced into the rear view I saw his brows quirk up at me and suddenly he was grinning,

"Talk of the reunion, huh? Plannin' on showin' me off to all your friends are you Princess? Gonna parade me round like a big old piece of meat?"

"Are you kidding me?" I giggled, "Hello? _Of course_ I am. Not every shy and mousy little schoolgirl can turn up ten years later with a hot man on her arm you know. I'm going to milk this with everything I've got, or, more specifically, everything _you've_ got."

He smirked at me,

"Everything?"

I shrugged,

"Well, maybe not _that_."

From the seat alongside me, Seth made a face and whined a little in protest,

"Come _on_ , you're creeping me out. Can we not have one damn conversation anymore without the two of you eye fucking each other?"

Dean grinned at him,

"Nope."

"Fine," Seth huffed back, "But just so you know, the two of you aren't as cute as you think you are."

I gasped,

"What? Um, I'll have you know that the two of us are _adorable_ ," I poked him in the side, "Admit it Rollins. You know we are."

From up in the front – still driving us steadily – Roman chuckled at our familial bickering like a father picking his kids up from school. In many ways, over the past few months, that's what we'd become. We _were_ a family of sorts. I mean, naturally the guys had already been one, but I was lucky to have been accepted by both Roman and Seth. Instead of resent Dean's annoying new girlfriend, I had simply been allowed to slot right into place.

The pair of them were my protective big brothers.

It was nice.

I'd never had siblings before.

"No," Seth shot back, breaking the mood a little, "You two are _tolerable_ at best."

" _Roman_ ," I whined, "He said Dean and I were _tolerable_."

The big man grinned broadly,

"Don't make me come back there."

As Seth rolled his eyes and muttered something incoherent – although it sounded kind of like _oh for god sakes_ – I sat back and smiled, glancing down at the invitation and feeling the butterflies start to build up again. I was ridiculously excited about shortly being homebound and showing Dean the area and showing off _Dean_.

For everything I had gone through and everything I had lost in the last twelve months, somewhere along the way I had gained a new family and – best of all – the love of my life. Why wouldn't I want to show that off to everyone? Besides, the fact that he was gorgeous didn't hurt, right? Looking up again, I caught Dean's eye in the rear view and he winked at me and made me grin.

"You alright?" he asked and I nodded back brightly,

"Yep."

I meant it.

I was _more_ than alright. If Dean was going as my very hot _plus one_ then I already knew the reunion would be great and I sat back daydreaming about the looks on people's faces and what dress I might wear and what it would feel like to be back again. As far as I could tell, there was only one potential hiccup and I shut my eyes briefly.

 _Please Andy, stay away._

Little did I know that in praying for his absence, I would actually do the opposite and make him show up.

* * *

 **Dun dun duuuunnnnn….**

 **Okay, so as ever, let me know what you're thinking (preferably based on the story but random thoughts will also do) and I'll see you in three days (yes, we're back to this again) so until then...**


	2. Fuckin' Stepford

**Okay, okay, I know I said three days but I've just remembered that I'm at an all day conference tomorrow (so committed to my job,** _ **not**_ **, wish I could do this for a living instead) and don't know what time I will be back so seemed more sensible to put this up early rather than late. Every three days from now though, promise!**

 **Labinnacslove, Hmm, yeah, Andy is going to be a bit of a thorn in the side in this story. But every good tale needs it villain, right? Besides, we all love a bit of protective Dean and what better way to do that than with an asshole ex-boyfriend to ruin their good time!**

 **Mandy, You know I'm always happy to help improve your week with chapter postings! I'm just glad you like it already. Seth and Roman don't crop up much in this one so I thought when they did appear I would go all out on the teasing and friendship vibes!**

 **Raze Olympus, Yes you have, you've been very patient and I'm super glad you stuck around and are diving back into the craziness of Lauren and Dean with me again! Hope this story is worth the wait (and that the three coming afterwards are worth it too!)**

 **KentuckyShieldFan, Aww, and I love that** _ **you**_ **love Dean and Lauren too! Glad you liked the first chapter of this story. Thought it was about time we saw where Lauren comes from!**

 **Minnie1015, Twice already? I must have done something right then! Hopefully this and the stories to come are worthy successors, although I warn you now, they won't be anywhere near that long! More like snapshots from some of the more...um...** _ **testing moments**_ **they face in their first year!**

 **Skovko, No, neither of my schools have ever managed it and I don't mind one bit. But yeah, totally agree with you that if I were dating one of the Shield guys, I would organise a reunion myself just to make the point and show off!**

 **MizHyde, Yep, here we are again and Dean is not going to be a very happy bunny in this one. Although we love him when he's a bit grouchy, right? Nothing he loves more than beating up an evil ex-boyfriend...not that Andy is their only problem…(I'm still a tease!)**

 **Okay, so let's go back home then...**

* * *

 **Fuckin' Stepford**

Having been away for the grand total of three months, I had forgotten how pretty my hometown really was and so as Dean blew out a breath as we wound towards Main Street, I actually felt my chest swell with pride.

"You grew up _here_? Holy shit. This place is like a fuckin' _postcard_."

"You think so?" I beamed, watching him glance around us and drink in the weather boarding, bunting and boutique shops.

"Are you kiddin' me? It's like fuckin' _Stepford_."

I frowned a little,

"That's a compliment, right?"

Fortunately his adorably wide-eyed expression pretty much confirmed it was and I watched in amusement as we skirted the lakeside, heading for the suburbs and my mom's little house. Dawn was breaking across the green hills around us and the pale morning light painted everything gold. I could certainly see why Dean was so enamoured and I was happy to be there –

But it was no longer my home.

It _had_ been my home and I had been happy there, but coming back made me realize how much I'd grown. In the three short months since I'd abandoned Wisconsin, Dean and Las Vegas had become my home and that realization was as oddly gut-wrenching as it was empowering.

I had made a new home.

Besides which, I had found myself an entirely new family and not just in Seth and Roman but with real _blood relations_ too.

Initially, when I had upped and left Wisconsin, it had been to find Hunter Helmsley – my dad. In the process of meeting him and building that relationship, I had also managed to stumble across Dean and the events that followed had changed me so completely, that I almost didn't recognize _Wisconsin Lauren_ anymore.

 _She_ had been lonely and devoid of direction, whereas now I not only had purpose and conviction, but I also had a definable place.

I was a daughter, a stepdaughter _and_ a girlfriend.

It was all so much more than I could ever have hoped to have.

I was so deep in thought and philosophical musing that I even barely registered we had turned into my street and so I jumped a little as Dean coughed beside me and glanced at the neat little houses,

"Which one's yours?"

"The white one," I pointed, straining forward against my seatbelt and feeling a burst of excitement, "On the right. Steps up to the porch, pink flowers in the baskets."

"Of course it is," Dean grinned teasingly, "I should have fuckin' know."

I didn't ask what he meant.

Instead I bit back of squeak of emotion as he smoothly swung our rental up onto the drive. I was out of my seat again before he'd even killed the engine and staring up at the familiar structure.

"Hi mom."

 _That_ was the one thing I had missed above everything – the fact that it still felt like _she_ was there. Las Vegas was great and I was blissfully happy, but in Wisconsin I would always be closest to her.

"Hey," Dean murmured, coming up behind me and folding his arms around my waist, "You alright?"

"Uh huh," I nodded, decidedly unconvincingly and he dropped his head and pressed a kiss against my neck,

"It's okay if you're not Lauren," he breathed against my jawline, tickling my skin slightly and making me smile, "I'm not your ex-boyfriend, alright? I'm not gonna take off. It's okay if you wanna be sad or cry or scream a little. Hit me with it Princess, go for it, you know?"

Reaching up a hand, I pressed it across his cheekbone, _so_ glad he was there with me.

"I love you."

"Yes you do," he grinned, planting a fierce little kiss on my forehead and then slapping my ass _hard_ , "Let's get the cases in."

With the reaffirmation that he was there with me, the growing knot in my throat died away and I peered at the window that looked out from my mother's room and smiled a little,

"See? Isn't he great?"

"Princess?" he yelled from the back of the rental, "Little help? What am I – the fuckin' concierge?"

Rolling my eyes I scuttled round towards him, intending to remind him to keep his voice down but before I could open my mouth to get the words out, another voice rang out from the porch to our right,

"Lauren? Lauren Hope, is that you?"

I beamed back broadly,

"Morning Lucy. Yep, it's me."

For a woman who had to be in her late eighties, she crossed the front lawn in what was nearly a dead sprint, positively _vaulting_ the flower border between our houses and stopping only to sweep me into a hug,

"Oh my goodness, _look_ at you girl, more beautiful than ever. Have you been alright? Come and have a coffee and tell me all about it. Janet in the salon tells me you've been on _TV_?"

As the elderly spinster made to tow me across the boundary line – as she had done countless times before – I giggled and reached a hand towards my boyfriend, who was still busy ferrying bags towards the door. He stopped and smirked at me, seeing my predicament and debated for a moment before stepping in close,

"Lucy?" I beamed proudly, relishing the moment along with _anytime_ I had to introduce him to someone new, "I'd like you to meet Dean – Dean, this is Lucy. She's lived next door _forever._ "

"Since this one was a kid," Lucy jerked a thumb in my direction and then offered out a jittery hand, "Nice to meet you son, I really mean that, you are a very attractive looking man."

Dean's brows quirked up a little in response to her and I almost groaned as I saw his _flirting_ _smile_ slip into place. If there was anything he loved more than chatting up women – aside from hitting people – then I'd not seen it yet and in the blink of an eye I was almost forgotten as he sidled in close to her and gave her a wink,

"You know, Lauren never told me they had such pretty young ladies livin' in these parts."

Lucy blushed,

"Oh, heaven sakes. You'll make me titter like a schoolgirl. You've got yourself a handful here."

The last part of the sentence was offered in my direction and as Dean grinned broadly, I shook my head at her and sighed,

"Don't I know it."

"You two staying for long?"

"Until Sunday. We managed to get a few days off."

Or rather I had thanks to some begging and a phone call to Hunter and _maybe_ one or two to Steph. In the past few months since I'd found out I was his daughter, I had been careful not to play the whole _Daddy's Princess_ card. But the prospect of being in my hometown with Dean had simply proven too big a lure and so I had unashamedly pleaded with my father to be allowed to extend the stay a little more. It had meant The Shield having to a miss the house shows, but eventually he had sighed and reluctantly given in.

" _Fine, just make sure you're there in time for Monday."_

I had hugged him tightly,

" _I will, thank you dad."_

It had also garnered me a hug from Seth and Roman, who had benefitted by-proxy with some time off of their own. In fact if I had thought a little quicker, I maybe could have got all three of them to come. Turning up to my reunion with Dean would be incredible, but turning up with _The Shield_?

Oh yeah.

As Dean nudged me gently in the spine, I snapped back again, blinking a little between them,

"Huh?"

Lucy smiled at Dean somewhat knowingly and shook her head mildly,

"This one's always in the clouds."

"Tell me about it Luce babe," Dean chirped back at her, adopting a nickname that I'd never once heard used. Instead of making her bristle however or rankle at the familiarity, her blush sort of _rose_.

"Oh you," she chuckled, batting her hand at him and letting it linger over his abs. _This_ was weird, my elderly neighbour was totally, unashamedly hitting on my man, "Come over to my place, I've got some fresh lemonade, you look like you could you some, you must have had a long drive."

Dean glanced across at me briefly and smiled teasingly, super smug at his ever effective charm.

"You know what? That sounds great, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check,"

Lucy deflated a little,

"Oh."

"But _only_ ," Dean continued, sidling up to her and bumping her a little with his arm, "Because if I spend another second with you, I'm probably gonna start gettin' all these _impure thoughts_ and that wouldn't go down too well with my girl."

As I gaped in astonishment, Lucy threw her head back, laughing and putting her hand on his arm. She used it to steady herself a little but I couldn't help notice her move closer as well,

"You know? You remind me of my first husband, he was quite the devil too."

"First?" Dean grinned at her, "How many have you had Luce?"

"Three at the last count."

"Room for one more?"

At the renewed and suggestive waggle of Dean's eyebrows, I swept in briskly and captured my boyfriend's arm, pulling him back a step and clearing my throat pointedly as I adopted my very best faux cheery smile.

"Okay, so, I think on _that_ note it's probably best we – you know – _get inside_. Clearly the driving has taken it out of him, so he should lie down and get some rest."

"Oh course, good idea," Lucy nodded magnanimously, before stepping forward to press me into another tight hug. When she finished she pressed her hand against my cheek and gazed at me fondly, "She'd have been _so_ proud,"

"Thank you," I whispered, fighting another knot down and wiping a tear as it threatened to fall. Instantly I felt Dean's fingers brush my hand and I latched onto him tightly, feeling suddenly safe and warm. Lucy merely smiled at the both of us and then turned around to shuffle back home,

"Lovely to have you back again sweetie and Dean, you come round anytime now – _anytime_."

"See ya round Luce," he called brightly as she retreated but we heard her chuckle as she swung shut the screen door, "Wow, she was – ,"

"Charming and harmless until she met _you_."

Dean grinned roguishly,

"What can I say? It's a gift," he stepped in closer and pulled me towards him, until the pair of us were pressed close, chest against chest. His arms dropped down to hold my hips and he kissed me softly, "You doin' okay?"

"I'm getting there," I nodded, dropping my head against him and succeeding in muffling my voice in his shirt, "It's just kind of _strange_ being back here I guess – brings back a lot of memories."

Dean kissed me again, ducking his head to make me look at him before hungrily swooping in and capturing my lips. It was the same trick he usually used when I was upset – pucker up without warning and _sear_ off my tears – and as ever it worked.

Ridiculously well.

"Come on Princess," he mumbled at me deeply, "How about you show me around the house, huh? Let's cut to the good stuff and start in your bedroom. I wanna see where dirty _teenage_ Lauren lived."

Mainly because the house was so tiny, the grand tour didn't take very long and within a minute of letting ourselves through the front door, we had already covered the kitchen, bathroom and lounge. The place felt musty but also familiar and being back there was both surreal and like I'd never been away. As a result, I wandered through it in a daydream, pointing out trinkets or photos on the wall.

"That's my mom's mom. I called her Ganna – apparently I couldn't say _Grandma_ as a kid. That's the summer I went camping with Kelly and we had to be evacuated when the rangers saw a bear."

Dean leant in to look at the snapshot and then shook his head and offered up a grin,

"How can somethin' so freakin' cute be so much fuckin' trouble?"

"Well, they have claws – ,"

"I was talkin' about you Princess,"

"Oh," I blinked back at him, "Wait a minute, did you just call me cute?"

"As a button," he replied, stepping in close to me and pecking my lips gently before sliding on past, "Now _this_ is what I came here for."

Turning around I found him stood before a doorway, tapping two words spelt out crookedly on the wood. The letters were silver stickers from some teenage magazine I'd had and were surrounded by additional butterflies and stars. When I had been thirteen, I had thought it was the coolest and that my graphic design skills would garner international praise, now however – after an absence – it looked kind of shoddy and generally lame.

 _Lauren's Room._

I smiled at it fondly and then glanced at Dean, rolling my eyes a little,

"Alright, I _guess_ you can go in."

He didn't need any extra encouragement and in the blink of an eye was straight through the door. Inside the place was just like I'd left it when I was nineteen and had moved into rented with Kelly. Those had been the days before she'd met Brent although – unfortunately for me – my boyfriend Andy was on the scene.

Pushed into the corner of the room beneath the window was my always stupidly comfy bed, with pillows stacked up around it like bolsters to stop from bumping into the wall. My old homework desk was pressed up against the foot of it, with the big dresser my mom had saved from a garage sale the only other piece of furniture in the room. Covering the walls and strung up between fairy lights, were polaroid shots of me with my friends. Dean leant in and ran his eyes over them, grinning and turning to me,

"This is you?"

"Oh, yeah," I waved a hand awkwardly, "I told you I was kind of a _late bloomer_ , right?"

Dean sighed in long suffering,

"You look _fine_ Lauren, besides, come on, what were you – like – _thirteen_ then?"

"Seventeen."

Dean blinked a little.

"Wow."

I reached over and swatted him and he caught my hand easily and pulled me towards him before spinning me around and dropping us both down onto the bed. I let out a squeal of alarm and then a giggle as the mattress rose up to meet me and bounced beneath our weight.

"Dean – ," he stopped me by ducking down and kissing me, dropping his hungry lips onto mine. It was the kind of kiss that left me breathless and I panted as he pulled away, "What was that for?"

He shrugged,

"What? I can't kiss my girlfriend for no reason?"

"Not like _that_ ," I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, "Are you turned on because you're in my room?"

"Got it one Princess."

I groaned,

"Ugh, _men_."

Dean grinned wickedly and since I was pinned beneath him, I was powerless to resist as he dropped down another kiss. This time however it was pecked onto my nose tip and accompanied by a husky growl,

"Now where's this notebook, huh?"

Over the last few months between the two of us, the notebook had assumed almost legendary status. It was essentially a tip-book I had compiled as a teenager which comprised various guidelines for orally pleasuring a man. In many ways it was totally harmless but it was also kind of _dirty_ as well and that combination – almost more than any other – always seemed to put Dean in the mood.

"Oh no mister," I giggled back at him, squirming from underneath him and slithering eel-like onto the floor, "You don't get to see that, it's _private_."

"Private? Lauren you've already _demonstrated_ most of them. What? I don't get to see them in kinky written form?"

"Nope."

I giggled again as he stepped in towards me, blue eyes flashing with various impure thoughts. I waited until he got right up to the doorway and then I ducked nimbly away into the hall,

"Princess – ,"

"Maybe later if you're very, _very_ good. Besides, you still need to see the rest of the house. There's a great view of the lake from the porch swing out back, kind of _romantic_ if you like that kind of thing."

Which I happened to know for a fact that he did.

I was already halfway towards the back door before I realized that Dean had stopped midway down the hall. He was standing beside the only remaining closed door and my heart flipped as he pointed,

"What's in here?"

"Um, that – that was my mom's room."

His face fell instantly and he stepped away from it, his hands sliding across my hips as I moved close.

"Forget I asked, okay? I get it. It's off limits. Now come on, I wanna see this romantic porch swing."

He held my hand and tried to coax me along with him, but I stayed where I was and resolutely shook my head. It was strange but until he had pointed it out to me, I had totally forgotten my mom's room was even there. It was almost as if I was blocking out the painful stuff, but that wasn't healthy and I couldn't pretend it was.

"No, it's – it's fine, really," I lied, twisting the handle with a sweaty palm and stepping inside.

The first thing that hit me was the familiar scent of my mother. A mix of perfume and just _mom smell_ that having the door shut had sealed inside. It seemed to billow up around me and it was at once both so comforting and heart-wrenching that I had to virtually choke out the next few breaths. Her hairbrush and make-up were laid out on her dressing table and her slippers were even stationed beside the bed, as if at any second she would wander in from out of the bathroom, slip them on and head off to make breakfast.

In short it was really, _really_ weird and I had no idea what to do with myself.

"Hey," Dean murmured from where he'd stayed in the doorway, "You okay?"

I shook my head,

"No – _yes_. I – I don't know."

"Want to be alone for a minute?"

I blinked up at him, feeling suddenly emotional and sucked in a long and quivery breath. Internally I was thanking every deity I could think of for giving me a boyfriend that was as wonderful as him.

Dean Ambrose.

The one person in the whole wide universe that simply _got_ me without having to question it. Who knew what I needed and gave it to me, every time.

"Yes please."

My voice came out as a cracked little whisper and the sound of it released him from his position in the door. He moved towards me and took my hand gently, squeezing it as he leant in and pecked me on the head,

"I'll be right outside, okay?"

"Okay."

He smiled reassuringly and kissed me again, then turned and left me alone in the room, pulling the door shut behind him as he went.

For a second I simply stood still and stared at it, but then I took a deep breath and looked around myself, trying to work out how I felt. Was it sadness, happiness, contentedness?

 _What?_

Crossing the room I ran my fingers across the comforter, before slowly sinking down onto the springs. Once there I reached out and picked up her pillow, before dropping my head down into the scent and – oh, okay – it _was_ sadness after all, because the second I did that, the tears came.

In _floods_.

God I missed her. I missed her so much and most of all I missed knowing what she thought. I missed the fact that she would never meet Dean, or see Hunter again or see how far I'd come. I missed that I couldn't share how totally in love I was or watch her build up her own bond with him. I missed her laugh, her opinion, I missed everything and as I buried my face deep into the pillow, the tears were promptly joined by sobs. Gut-wrenching, ugly, physically painful howling that made me feel like I was breaking apart.

I don't know how long the crying went on for – somewhere between minutes and several hours I guessed – but by the time I finally ran out of salt water, my cheeks felt puffy and my eyes were red, besides which I felt completely drained.

In a really strange way though, I also felt cleansed. As if crying my eyeballs out of their sockets had released something that I'd been holding onto for too long.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what that _something_ was either.

My old life.

Only three months earlier, I had been a waitress in a small town, who barely made enough money to rent my tiny apartment, had no boyfriend and was on the brink of being orphaned. Now my life was almost unrecognizable and on top of that I had a home.

A home that wasn't in Wisconsin anymore.

When I left town in a few days time, I would essentially be stepping back into my new life and being back there – in the house I grew up in – made me realize how much happier I was than before.

I hadn't just come back for the reunion.

In many ways I had come back to say goodbye.

 _Wow._

Where was Doctor Phil when you needed him? He could probably have written a book about that. He could also have written a book about my boyfriend and I started slightly as I wondered where he was. He'd told me he would be outside, but what precisely did that mean? Was he reading a book on the porch swing – it was November, so not likely – or had he gone to sample some of Lucy's lemonade?

Rolling off the bed and swiping my still-damp cheeks, I gave a final sniff and stepped from the room. Outside the rest of the house lay in silence and I frowned and padded towards the kitchen.

"Dean?"

No reply greeted me – he wasn't there – and so I peered onto the porch to much the same results. Instantly my heart started to thump a little louder. Where had he gone? Shuffling with climbing panic into the lounge, I almost completely missed him at first but at the sound of deep breathing I glanced towards the sofa and sure enough – thank god – Dean was there.

He was lying stretched out, his head on a cushion and his arms folded around himself as if he was cold. He was fast asleep and looking contented and the sight of him seeming so relaxed calmed me down.

 _Ugh._

He really was completely adorable and not for the first time, I counted my lucky stars. In the short time Dean and I had been together, we'd managed to negotiate several bumps in the road, ranging from my stepmother inadvertently trying to kill me to Bray Wyatt holding me captive for several hours. Throughout it all however, he'd stuck by me and I owed him more than I could ever repay. Not that he would ask me to – or expect anything in return.

He loved me.

 _Me_.

What more was there to say about it?

Except maybe _thank you_ a few million times more.

Crossing quietly back into the hall, I went in the cupboard and grabbed the extra blanket, before taking it back to where Dean was asleep. Flapping it open I laid it gently over him, leaving a corner up so I could crawl in. It was a difficult manoeuvre to accomplish initially and I almost fell off onto the floor, but eventually I was lying flat pressed up against him and I pulled the blanket down and tucked us both in.

" _Hmmm_ ," Dean mumbled sleepily from behind me, letting out a long contented breath, "You 'kay?"

"Uh huh," I whispered softly back at him, pillowing my head up against his solid arm. Instinctively his free hand slid around my waistline, dropping it down around me and pulling me in close. I let him do it, his warmth and scent surrounding me and beating off any of my lingering tears. My fingers threaded through his and squeezed tightly and I was filled with so much love that I felt I might burst.

"Dean?"

" _Mmm_?"

"Thank you," I whispered and he sucked in a deep breath and snuggled closer,

"Any time."

* * *

 **So, in the next chapter we finally get to meet Kelly in the flesh. Hope she's just as everyone remembers her (hint: she hasn't mellowed any more now that she's a mom!)**


	3. Best Friends Forever

**Okay, so is everyone ready for Kelly? Live and in the flesh for the first time? What do we think she'll make of Dean? Answers lie ahead…**

 **Mandy, Wouldn't be the first time I've written Dean shameless flirting with an old lady and I honestly doubt it will be the last. Not sure why but I just find it funny and kinda cute, glad you agree. But yeah, I upped the emotion with that last one. Had to really (because I'm cruel). This one's lighter though!**

 **Raze Olympus, Yay, glad this story continues to be worth the wait and I'm sorry for the sad bits. They're important though, they're all building up to the end of this story as you'll see when we get there (or at least, I** _ **hope**_ **you will!)**

 **Labinnacslove, Aww, thanks, glad you liked it. It was pretty much just a shameless excuse for me to write about Dean giving loving cuddles though. See? She doesn't call him** _ **boyfriend of the year**_ **for nothing!**

 **Minnie1015, Well, I have good news for you, nearly all of these chapters are good and long (at least, by my standards anyway!) I love my job really but can't deny I prefer writing. I keep hoping I'll win the lottery one day then I remember I don't play it...d'oh! Oh well, I'll just have to get through it by writing plenty more stories about Dean!**

 **Skovko, That happens again later with the whole** _ **Dean quoting a movie**_ **thing and her having no idea! I've got a friend like that who I forced to watch** _ **A Muppet's Christmas Carol**_ **last year because she'd never seen it (she loves it now!) Lauren's the same!**

 **Psion53, Hey, not to worry, gang's all back now! Yep, love a bit of Seth and Roman bantering with them and (of course) Lauren and Dean are sickeningly cute and still loved up with each other. Everything is pretty much just as we left it...including Dean teasing her and just being Dean!**

 **Kayla English, I think it would be chaos if they all turned up! I kind of imagine Roman raiding the buffet table and leaving nothing for anyone else while Seth chats up all the girls! Pity nobody thought to send them an invite! Here's the next chapter for you…**

 **Tiffgarant, Aww, glad you're enjoying it so far. Updates will be coming every three days, so make sure to look out for them and in the meantime, here you go!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Ooh, yay, glad to see you here! Hope the rest of it stacks up as well. No protective Mox in this one but plenty of protective Dean which is just as good (or at least, that's the plan!)**

 **Here's Kelly...**

* * *

 **Best Friends Forever**

My best friend Kelly and her husband Brent lived in a big house up on the hill. A beautiful, three-storied weather-boarded affair, painted in deep red with a white wraparound porch. In terms of the local real estate market, it was pretty much the priciest neighbourhood there was but thanks to Brent's family owning several local businesses – including a _very_ good ice cream parlour in which I may or may not have spent far too much time – it had been their home since they'd married two years earlier and was a totally idyllic spot to raise their son.

As we climbed the little steps beside their driveway to the door, Dean stopped briefly and drank in the view, casting down across the houses tucked below us and the big wide expanse of the deep blue, tree-edged lake.

"Jesus, I just can't get over this place."

I shrugged as I reached forward and rapped on the door,

"I told you my hometown was kind of _apple pie_ ,"

"You weren't kiddin' either, but it totally makes sense."

"What does?" I replied, as he stepped up to join me, the early winter breeze pulling on the collar of his leather jacket – the one with the stripes running straight down the seams and making him look like a scruffy, sexy biker. He dropped his hands onto my hips from behind and snuggled into my neck and made me squeak, "Dean – ,"

"Why you're so _girl-next-door_ and _wholesome_."

"Me? No I'm not."

"Trust me Princess, you are."

He pressed his lips to my neck and kissed the skin there, before whipping his head up as the lock of the door clicked. By the time it swung open he was smiling up respectfully, like he _hadn't_ just been getting fresh right on their porch. Not that Kelly seemed to notice however, as she launched herself towards me with a squeal that pierced the air,

" _Laurie_ – ,"

"Kel," I giggled back delightedly as she enveloped me in what was essentially a _bone crushing_ hug.

"Oh my _god_ I've missed you sweetie, it's so good to have you back – so, _so_ good,"

"Kelly," I coughed a little, "Can't really breathe."

She released me at once,

"Oops, sorry about that."

As she stepped back – looking gorgeous as usual, she was one of those women that would have pulled off a trash bag – her eyes fell on Dean and her look of elation instantly turned to one of allure.

"Oh, uh, Kel," I offered somewhat redundantly, moving my hands between them, " _This_ is Dean."

"Well hello Dean," she smiled brightly, "I've heard _lots_ about you. Seen the pictures too – very nice."

For added good measure she threw a sly wink at him and he smirked back a little underneath quizzical brows. Gradually his eyes slid my way,

"Pictures?"

I grabbed him by the arm and chuckled nervously,

"Don't know what she's talking about – uh – shall we go inside?"

He let me drag him over the threshold, eyeing me and my steadily forming blush. Luckily for me however, there was a figure in the hallway, holding something close to him and it took the heat off,

"Hey Brent – oh my god, _look_ at him."

Sitting in his father's arms was a totally adorable eight week old baby boy. Not that I was usually broody, but the fact that he was my best friend's son meant I was hooked. It helped that he had the most amazing blue eyes and a surprisingly healthy looking mop of dark brown hair. In many ways he looked like a tiny miniature of Brent and the big man clearly knew it – he was grinning like mad.

"Rog," he cooed, jiggling the baby in his arms, "This is your auntie Lauren,"

"Give him here."

It was more of an order than an actual question and to finish my demand, I threw my arms out. Brent responded in a good-natured heartbeat, handing his son across and chuckling as he did. As the warm little body was pressed into my hands, I adjusted and felt a tiny hand grip my shirt. Once he was relieved of his bundle, Brent leant in and pecked me on the cheek, squeezing my arm gently,

"Hey, how are you?"

"In love," I replied, as Roger stared up at me and broke into a sudden and very happy grin. I had almost completely forgotten that Dean was with me, until Kelly stepped towards us and pointed,

"She means with him."

"Oh," I blinked, throwing my spare hand out and groping for my boyfriend apologetically, "Sorry guys, Brent this is Dean – Dean this is Brent and _this_ little man is Roger, my godson."

I knew he was already aware of the last part, but I liked saying it anyway, it sounded nice.

 _My godson._

From having had so very little several months ago, it was nice to feel my makeshift family grow. Plus since I planned on being an awesome _sort-of_ auntie, there seemed no better opportunity to say it a few more times.

Smiling at me knowingly, Dean stepped forward, capturing Brent's hand in an uber-manly shake. I could tell from his face that Brent was trying to squeeze his hardest, although on Dean's part he wasn't putting much effort in at all. I guessed it was that alpha thing of meeting a wrestler, but fortunately although he was taking it as a challenge, Brent was also smiling welcomingly as well,

"Nice to meet you Dean, I mean that. I'm a real fan of the show."

Kelly tutted as the men broke apart again, whispering conspiratorially,

"Only because I made him watch. He thought it was too violent."

Brent coughed at her,

"I _did_. Now however, I gotta say, it's awesome. You and your Shield buddies? Pick of the bunch."

"Hey thanks man," Dean nodded, before returning the compliment, "Nice place you got here."

"Thanks, I'll give you the tour."

As the pair of them stepped off to predictably head towards Brent's man cave – which was probably the room that Dean would like best – Kelly waved a hand at them almost kind of airily and pushed me towards the kitchen with her son,

"We'll get some drinks."

I caught Dean's eye as the pair of us were separated, making sure that he felt comfortable enough. He smirked at me mildly, aware of my worrying and winked at me in a silent _everything's fine_. He was like that – Dean – surprisingly easy going and adept at charming people.

Well, _out_ of the ring.

 _In it_ however was a whole other matter and Kelly was obviously thinking the same thing. We were barely even through the kitchen doorway before she burst out at me in a girly sounding squeal,

"Holy _crap_ he's amazing!"

"Dean?" I blinked,

"Uh hello? Of _course_ Dean. I honestly didn't know what to expect from him Lauren – especially given how he can be in the ring – and yes, _I know_ , you've told me he's a sweetheart but I didn't really buy the whole _gentle giant_ thing – ,"

"Now you do, huh?"

Kelly nodded,

"He seems so _chill_. Seriously, he's like the most laid back guy ever, plus – you know – he's _gorgeous_ which helps. No Laurie, you've done ridiculously well with him. The whole reunion will be staring."

"I know," I replied with a sudden bashful grin, "Would I sound really _really_ shallow if I said that was the part I was looking forward to most? I mean, I _literally_ have the world's best boyfriend. There's nothing wrong with wanting to show that off, right?"

Kelly pulled some glasses from the cupboard and placed them on a tray,

"Nope. Nothing wrong with that _at all_. Besides, if you weren't going to show him off to everyone, then I was damn well going to do it for you."

"You were?"

"Sure. Our old classmates are _dicks_. There's a reason we didn't stay in touch with them, remember? So when it comes to gloating about our lifestyles, tomorrow we're going to need to go all out. I figure that with me marrying into the Dare family and you on TV with a _wrestler_ on your arm, we can knock all those holistic yoga instructors and _start-up tech firm_ assholes out of the park. You and me girl, just like old times. It's going to be team _Lelly_ all the way."

It was strange to hear our old teenage mash-up nickname and to see Kelly so back in _High School_ mode again. It made me laugh and _that_ made Roger giggle and I grinned down at him and jiggled him in my arms,

"Wow, I honestly cannot believe you guys made this."

She reached over to brush his hair and he gazed up at his mom.

"I know, me too, it's the best thing I've ever done. I mean, massively painful and my downstairs is _ruined_ , but every second of pain has been worth it. Even the sex drought seems kind of okay – now that we're past it that is."

"You're past it? So you and Brent are – you know – _back on the horse_ again?"

Pulling a bottle of fizz from the refrigerator and adding some juice for the non-drinkers of the bunch, Kelly balanced them all on the tea-tray and threw her head back with a long groan,

"Thank god, _yes_ and I have you guys to thank for it."

"Who, me and Dean?"

"Uh huh,"

"Um, _how_?"

"Well," she beamed, getting ice from the freezer and tossing it into a little metal bowl, "When he heard you guys were coming he just started to get more _horny_ , you know? I think knowing that Dean was going to be here made him want to act like a man and what's more manly than having sex?"

"Drinking a beer? Putting up dry wall?"

Kelly snorted loudly,

"I think I'd rather have the sex."

" _Ohhh_ ," I exhaled, snapping my fingers as it all seemed to suddenly fall into place, "You know what? He _did_ squeeze Dean's hand pretty hard when he met him. Is that all part of this _manly_ thing?"

"Oh yeah," Kelly snorted, "He's been lifting weights all week. Says it's about time he _got into shape_. Of course, _I've_ been saying that to him for years but the second a professional wrestler comes into town – _boom_ – there he is every night at the gym."

" _Aww_ ,"

I grinned.

Brent was too adorable although in many ways it was strange how things had ended up. When we'd been teenagers, if you had asked either one of us – or anyone that ever knew us to that point – they would have all very confidently answered, that of the two of us, Kelly would have dated the wrestling star. I on the other hand was always much more likely to have married a local man and stayed on in the town.

How it had ended up the other way was beyond me. But the important thing – the main thing – was that both of us were happy and although our lives had turned out _kind of_ different than we'd planned them, there we both were with the men we each loved.

The two of us were very, _very_ lucky girls.

As Kelly continued to move around the kitchen, I kept Roger happy by bouncing him up and down, making funny faces and spinning him in circles or playing hide and seek with my one spare hand. His little blue eyes lingered on me like I was incredible and I looked up proudly,

"Hey, I think he likes me."

"How could he not?" Kelly replied brightly, "You're his Auntie Laurie, the kid's _gotta_ love you."

"Plus I'm adorable."

Kelly snorted,

"Yeah, _that_."

Behind us Brent pushed into the kitchen, stopping and smiling as he saw me twirling around in dizzy circles with his son. In all the years I'd known him, I'd never seen him look so happy. Being a father clearly suited him well. He was a good guy – Brent – I'd always liked him, although initially I hadn't thought him much of Kelly's type. Before him she'd always gone for blonde and kind of _buff_ guys, whereas Brent was dark haired and a _little_ overweight. But what he was _also_ was kind and dependable. He was one of those guys that everyone liked, which was how I had known he and Dean would get on.

Speaking of which, where _was_ my boyfriend? I blinked in alarm,

"Um, Brent? Where's Dean?"

"Relax Lauren, he's in the den, I just came in to grab some snacks."

"Oh," I nodded, "Right, so he's okay?"

"No, I murdered him – yes, he's _fine_. Actually, you know what? He's a pretty cool guy."

"Ha," Kelly barked from across the kitchen, "Man crush."

Brent flushed slightly,

"What? It is _not_."

"Sure it isn't, whatever you say sweetie, now get over here and help out your wife. I already pushed an entire kid out for you, I'm damned if I'm getting all the drinks and snacks as well. Laurie honey? You go in and check on Dean. Take Roger with you, we'll be there in a bit."

I saluted with my free hand,

"Over and out."

There was really no point in arguing with her and so I spun my godchild around with a plane noise and crossed the wide hallway, my heels clacking on the floor.

As promised, Dean was safely in the den, checking out some of the photos stacked on the mantel and looking around the period house in vague awe. On seeing me beside him, his expression quickly softened and he greeted me by dropping his hand against my hip,

"Hey, you okay?"

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing. Having fun with Brent?"

Dean shrugged,

"He seems like a nice enough guy. Did you say his family owned an ice cream parlour? How much do they sell the stuff for round here? This place is amazin'."

I giggled,

"I know. It's not just the ice cream though, they owe a whole _bunch_ of stuff. Real estate, lumber, removals, contractors. They're kind of a big deal in this neck of the woods."

Dean drank that in for a moment, then shook his head,

"Wow."

"What?"

"It's just – where I come from? The only guys who made this much money were the ones who could hire guys to sell on their drugs. I guess I've never really been around people who could make this much cash from _legal_ stuff, you know?"

I blinked and tipped my head to one side,

"What about Vince or Stephanie or Hunter?"

"Lauren," Dean sighed, his fingers sliding through my belt loops to pull me a little closer, "A couple months ago, one of their employees kidnapped you from the building and then held you hostage for twenty four hours. The _same_ guy then drove a car into your father and he's still on the payroll and wandering around. What they do might not be illegal but it's not fuckin' _normal_."

I nodded,

"Good point."

It made him grin and he leaned in and kissed me, before gently stroking Roger's downy little head. For his part, my godson had been staring up towards him, captivated by Dean's presence.

I couldn't blame him for that.

"So this is Roger?"

"Uh huh, wanna hold him?" Dean blinked back at me, decidedly uncertain and I rolled my eyes and held the tiny body out, giving the two of them very little option, other than to accept one another's hold. Instantly the tiny fingers fisted Dean's shirt and I smiled as he started to sway back and forth.

"Come on then kid, let's take a look at you," Dean held him out at arm's length, "I guess you'll do."

"Guess he'll do for what?" I giggled as Dean pulled him back towards his body again. Roger accepted the movement happily and promptly began to chew his own fist. Clearly alongside his father's dark hair and his mother's blue eyes, he'd got Brent's appetite too.

"I guess he'll do for an occasional houseguest. I mean, you're gonna want him to come stay with us, when he's – like – a little older, right?"

For a second I simply stared in amazement, wondering how on earth I had hit the jackpot like I had. Roger couldn't and wouldn't stay on his own with us for _years_ yet, which meant that Dean was clearly planning ahead. In the excitement I couldn't stop myself from surging forward and giving him a passionate kiss.

" _Ugh_ , I love you, so fricking much."

He grinned at me, looking kind of surprised but also pleased that he'd made me so happy. Cradling Roger up against his abs, he pulled me in closer and again captured my lips, mumbling against me gruffly as we broke apart and vibrating the words through my body,

"Love you back."

In the moment, Roger reached out and grabbed my shirt again and I giggled,

"Watch out, you've got competition now,"

"I think I can handle it, but hey, hands off my girl man."

Dean passed him over again and my godson snuggled into me, shutting his eyes and sucking his thumb. Knowing that he was tired, I slowly started rocking him, softly swaying my body side to side and talking nonsense to him in what I hoped were soothing tones. It seemed to work more quickly than I had banked on and within a minute I was pretty sure the kid was fast asleep. Looking up, I noticed that Dean was watching silently and I frowned in suspicion at him,

"What's the look for?"

"Nothing," he smiled folding back onto the sofa, "You're just – good with him, that's all."

"Uh oh," I responded, "Is this where you freak out? Start worrying about marriage and babies and stuff, then ditch me for some blonde who still likes to have fun? Because if it is then you should probably know that I like – no, I _love_ – where we are. I mean, don't get me wrong here, Roger is _gorgeous_ , but my biological clock is by no means going off. Anyway, aren't you supposed to work up to that? Start with something smaller? Like a dog."

Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head mildly, caught midway between a wry sort of amusement and sheer exasperation which had blended into one,

"Lauren, it's fine. I'm not freakin' out. I'm not fuckin' _ditchin'_ you either alright? Besides, you couldn't go a _day_ without findin' trouble and needin' me to come and bail your ass out."

"I didn't get into any trouble yesterday,"

"You broke the handle and got stuck in the laundry room – for half an hour."

I blinked,

"Oh, right."

"Anyway," Dean shrugged, "It's true – you're good with kids – and I mean, maybe in _past_ relationships that would've kinda _rattled_ me, but with you? I don't know. It's _okay._ It's good."

My very next question was blinding oblivious and blindingly important as well. But unfortunately before I could ask it, Brent and Kelly waltzed back into the room.

 _Is this you saying you want children with me someday?_

"Drinks and snacks are here."

 _Damn_.

I loved them both, but their timing was off – like way _way_ off.

"Dean man? Get you a beer?"

As Brent busied himself handing out _guy snacks_ – which seemed to comprise a curious mix of spicy nuts, pretzels and barbeque chips – Kelly noticed Roger asleep in my arms and took him away to lie him down for his nap. By the time she returned, we were all settled comfortably, sipping our drinks and shooting the breeze like the four of us had been a grouping forever. I liked that though – I liked the ease – and I snuggled into Dean as he dropped an arm around my back. _God_ , I was so incredibly lucky. If the whole thing was a dream then I didn't want to wake up.

"Laurie?"

"Huh?" I blinked in bewilderment, realizing that everyone's eyes were on me. Kelly smiled a little at my dreaminess, but her expression seemed slightly guarded as well,

"I said do you know if Andy is coming?"

"Oh, no – I mean, I _don't_ know."

"Well if he's got any sense, he'll stay the hell away," Dean growled, slipping back into Shield mode. The arm around my back had stiffened and he was tapping his fingers in agitation against his beer. As Kelly nodded in what appeared to be agreement, I reached a hand out and placed it gently across his. Blue eyes swung around to meet me and the tapping stopped almost instantly,

"He better had. After all the shit he pulled on Laurie. Did she tell you he broke her arm?"

Dean's gaze darkened,

"Yeah, she did."

"I _also_ said it was an accident, okay?" I implored at both of them, trying to make them see sense, "Can we not just let it go already? Brent, please, talk some reason into your wife."

The other man shook his head and sighed at me,

"Sorry Lauren, but I actually think they're right on this. If he shows up, I won't be pleased."

"If he shows up I'll make him wish he hadn't."

" _Dean_ ," I groaned "You promised, no brawling. This is a class reunion, not a fight club, okay? That goes for you two as well. You need to swear to me – _swear to me_ that you won't start a war."

" _Fine_ ," Kelly huffed as Brent held his hands up, but neither of them were happy,

"Thank you. Dean?"

For a moment he simply sat and said nothing, but as I jiggled his shoulder, he blew out a long growl,

"Alright, I won't punch the guy straight out. But if he touches you? That's it, all bets are off."

I leaned up a little and kissed his cheek gently, liking the feel of the stubble on my lips. The tension in the room was still swirling fiercely but it was actually kind of nice because it was swirling for _me_. I was sitting in the room with almost all of the people who cared about me most in the world and the fact that they were so keen to keep me protected made me feel safe and – most of all – loved.

Now I just needed to keep them from killing Andy and the rest of the visit would be totally fine.

Easy right?

Yeah, not so much.

* * *

 **Yeah, Kelly loves Dean...how can** _ **anyone**_ **not love Dean? Next chapter, the reunion (well,** _ **part**_ **of it at least!)**


	4. Handbags And Gladrags

**Okay, so, the reunion part** **one, is everybody ready?**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Yeah, little Roger is super cute plus he inspired the whole** _ **having kids**_ **conversation between Dean and Lauren so that's something else we can thank the little guy for!**

 **Tiffgarant, Hi, glad you're so keen to read more. I post every three days without fail (unless I'm eaten by wild sea monsters) so there's never too long to wait for the next one!**

 **Labinnacslove, Yep, I figured Dean would probably be the sort to hint at having future kids and marriage without coming out and saying it directly. He never likes to make things too easy! I love writing Kelly and Brent and their dynamic, plenty more of the two of them to come!**

 **Minnie1015, So, you want the ex-boyfriend I hear you cry? Wish granted (plus there's lots more of him still pending as well). Kelly also shines in the next two chapters, or, at least I hope she does!**

 **Raze Olympus, Aww, thanks and you of all people should know by now that my name pops up an awful lot. Sometimes I think I post too many things too quickly, but thankfully you haven't gotten tired of me yet!**

 **Mandy, As always you are entirely welcome for the update, I aim to please! Yeah, I really loved writing Dean being introduced to Kelly and seeing him through a fresh pair of eyes and I agree about showing him off, I would walk in there with a neon sign!**

 **Skovko, Yeah men are weird bless their little hearts. Cute but weird. Like peacocks, or maybe something more manly like tigers or lions...nah, peacocks it is!**

 **It's party time!**

* * *

 **Handbags and Gladrags**

Despite my insistence on buying a new dress, in the end I went with one I already had. It had been languishing in the closet in my room back at my mom's house and the second I saw it, I knew it was the one. I had bought it a year ago a few towns over, when my mom and I had been scanning the art scene. It had been hanging in the window of a cute vintage clothing store and she had essentially _made_ me buy it, mostly figuring _what the hell_. I hadn't worn it since and had forgotten all about it but it was elegant, mid-length and not to dressy, with just the right amount of nineteen-fifties chic. As it turned out, it also matched what Dean was wearing and as I stepped from the bathroom, my face lit up,

"Hey, look, we're both in blue," I gave him a giddy twirl, "What do you think?"

His eyes traced up and down the delicate lacework and he frowned a little,

"When did you buy that?"

It made me pleased that he seemed to know my wardrobe so intimately and I smiled as I attempted to shove my cell phone into my clutch. Why did they always make them so damn impossible to actually fit anything half _useful_ in?

"I didn't, I bought it with my mom, like, _a year_ ago. Didn't even remember I had it until earlier today and – oh come on, just get _in_ there."

As I growled in annoyance and yelled at my iPhone, Dean snorted wryly and moved across to help. He took it from my hands with a sigh and looked inside it before raising a brow at the various contents.

"Lauren?"

"What?"

"Do you really need _all_ this stuff?"

I gaped in mock outrage,

"Um, for your information _yes_."

"Really? Because your phone and lipstick I can get on board with, but Advil, Band-Aids, perfume and what is this? _Bug-spray_? We're only going to be there a couple hours. You're packin' like we're campin' at this place overnight. What the – Princess, are these _extra shoes_?"

I snatched them away as he pulled them from the handbag and frowned a little at him,

"They're in case my heels hurt."

"So what are the Band-Aids for?"

"In case – ," I faltered, "Um, in case my heels hurt?"

Dean took them from me and tossed them away easily,

"Nope."

"Hey – ,"

"If your heels hurt, you can just use the Band-Aids," Dean instructed, smoothly sliding in my phone, "If they don't work, I'll have to fuckin' carry you."

I giggled a little,

"Okay then."

"There."

With everything tucked away and the clasp sealed firmly, Dean handed me my good-to-go bag and for the first time since he'd moved, I realized how close he was and tip-toed up to give him a kiss.

"You look so hot," I whispered huskily, teasing the words against his lips. My arms were round his neck and his hands moved down to steady me, supporting me with one on either side of my hips. In response, Dean quirked a coy and playful brow at me, grinning a little,

"Really?"

I nodded,

" _Mmhmm_ , super hot."

I wasn't kidding on that front either, Dean looked _spread-on-a-cracker-and-eat_ good. Not that he was wearing anything too swanky, which was probably part of the overall effect. Instead he was in a pair of dark blue denims, that fell away from his ass and drew eyes down his long legs. On top was a semi-smart, untucked shirt in navy and with the sleeves rolled halfway up, showing off his tanned arms. His hair was slicked back and he was very lightly stubbly and he had finished the look off with a pair of dark brown workman's boots. In essence it _kind_ of looked like he hadn't bothered, but at the same time he looked smart and sexy as hell.

Tiptoeing up again, I kissed him even deeper and his hands slid round to cradle my ass, ever so lightly lifting me up towards him and affording me the height for a little bit more.

"You're not so bad yourself you know Princess," Dean growled, his hand slowly skirting up my dress. I giggled and tried to push it away again although with his grip tight around me, I didn't get very far, "Why don't we take your little book of tricks tonight? Let your classmates know what kind of girl you _really_ are?"

"Oh? And what kind of girl is that?" I asked innocently, kissing him before he answered and gently nipping his bottom lip. He groaned a little and dropped his forehead against me, a familiar stirring starting to tug at his jeans,

"My dirty little small town goddess,"

I looked at him teasingly,

"You really want to share me out?"

In response his tongue slid into my mouth and he pressed me against him until our breastbones almost fused. The smell of his aftershave was totally amazing and it dazed me so much I even let him stroke my hair.

The hair that had taken me nothing short of an hour, a string of expletives and a web tutorial to get right. _Easy Updos In Ten Minutes_ my ass. More like _Updos To Attempt Until You Pass Out Or Possibly Die_. Either way I didn't care.

"No fuckin' way," Dean growled up against me, "Never lettin' you near anybody else. That's it now Princess, you're fuckin' stuck with me. Better get used to it."

"I think I can cope."

With Dean's hardness pressing against me ever firmer, I dropped my hand to relieve some of the growth. Unfortunately however, the second I attempted it – with Dean moaning expectantly – we were interrupted by a blast.

 _Beep beep._

" _Fuck_."

It was Kelly and Brent come by to pick us up and although I knew Kelly wouldn't begrudge us five minutes, it would have been _hella_ weird with them outside sitting in their car. Giggling a little, I wound my hand around Dean's fingers, reaching up to gently stroke him across the cheek,

"We'll have to continue this when we get back later."

Dean kissed my nose tip,

"We'd better fuckin' had."

The reunion was being held in the hall of our old school, which was a picturesque red-brick building not far out of town. By the time we arrived the place was already buzzing and as we drew up in a space beside the achingly familiar sports field, I couldn't help but feel a knot form in my throat. The thought of stepping inside amongst my classmates was turning me into a bundle of nerves. Unlike Kelly – who would waltz in like a movie star – I was by no means used to the spotlight and although I had been excited about making my grand entrance, I suddenly wanted to turn around and go home. What was I supposed to even _say_ to people? How did I start explaining the recent twists in my life? I was still busy trying to fight down the growing panic when Dean leant in across the backseat and squeezed at my hand,

"Hey, you okay?"

"Just – just nervous."

"Nervous?" Kelly snorted determinedly from the front seat, adjusting an actual faux fox-fur stole, "Don't be sweetie, you look totally amazing. We're going to show those stuck up bitches what's what in this town."

"Um, Kel? That doesn't help."

But as Brent scurried round to open the car door for her, my words fell on deaf and oblivious ears. With a final look at herself in the mirror, Kelly stepped out, smoothed her dress and was away. Just like old times she drew plenty of approving glances and suddenly I was right back at High School again, scuttling after her, carrying her books around and generally being the mousy little friend.

"Come on," Dean sighed, climbing out into the darkness and reaching for my hand, "Let's fuckin' get this done. We've got unfinished business back home tonight remember? M' not forgettin' that."

I couldn't love him more if I'd tried.

 _Deep breath Lauren, here we go._

Inside the place had been decorated and _then_ some, with bunting and banners and pale pink lights. It felt surreal and yet weirdly soothing to be back there, almost as if we'd never been away. There were faces everywhere – gathered at tables or standing catching up – but they all stopped as we walked in. Kelly and Brent drew the early attention but as the pair of us followed, all eyes fell on Dean. Clearly the news that a pro wrestler was coming had already done the inevitable rounds and instantly every man there began to glower, while every woman drank in his muscles and swooned. In response I slipped my hands around his elbow and snuggled in closer, not sure how I felt. On the one hand I liked having a boyfriend to die for, but I wasn't so jazzed with the whole room looking our way. Fortunately Dean was well versed with people staring and so simply smirked down at me,

"Drink?"

"God, yes please."

Before we were allowed to hit the bar however, we had to first stop by the table to sign in. Courtney Reynolds was sitting behind it, positively _poured_ into a tiny strapless dress. On seeing Kelly she smiled across thinly but that all changed as she laid eyes on Dean. Vaulting the table – and upsetting all the name tags which had been carefully laid out in neat little rows – she shunted me aside without even a flicker and suckered herself almost physically to him,

"You must be the famous Dean Ambrose? I've seen you on TV and I'm just _so_ glad you're here. It's always nice to have _celebrity presence_ and wow, can I just say you look even _better_ in the flesh."

Dean stared down at her, decidedly expressionless and then offered up an unimpressed snort,

"Yeah," he drawled, untangling her hands from him and reaching past to pointedly reel me back in, "Sure, whatever – real nice to meet you. Now come on Princess, let's get that fuckin' drink. I'm gonna need somethin' good and alcoholic if I'm gonna have to put up with _this_ kinda shit."

 _Nice Dean, real subtle._

Still he made a good point and luckily whoever had stocked up the bar that day must have known that he was in town, since not only did they have a pretty good selection, but they also had his favourite brand of vodka as well. As he ordered our drinks I gazed around the sports hall, my eyes bouncing fretfully from one group to the next. I was using the distraction of the bar to search for Andy but to my relief, he didn't seem to be there. I hadn't seen his name among the tags either, so maybe he had decided not to show up? _That_ was a relief and so as Dean passed my drink back, I dived face-first into it to liquor-up my shaking nerves.

"Uh, Princess?" he grinned, quirking a brow at me, "You might wanna slow down, it's not a race."

"Sorry."

"Still kinda antsy about this, huh?"

"Sort of."

"So," Dean continued casually "Have you seen him yet?"

"What? Have I seen who?"

"Your asshole ex-boyfriend. I'm guessin' that's who you're lookin' out for?"

"Um," I shrugged, my heart beating powerfully and my coolness fooling no one, " _Maybe_ , yeah."

Dean nodded back and took a sip of his drink,

"Figured as much."

I blinked at him,

"Wait, why are you so weirdly calm about this? Is this some type of _Shield_ mode I haven't seen before? I mean, usually before you go one on one with someone, you're all kind of twitchy and like, _pent up_ but this whole easy breezy thing – I don't know what to do with it and honestly? It's kinda starting to freak me out."

As I frowned at him, Dean let out a snort and turned to face me with a little half-smile. Reaching out he skimmed my arm very gently, rubbing the back of his knuckles across my skin. It made me shudder and the nervousness dropped off again. As long as he was there, everything was fine.

"Lauren," he offered, dropping his voice huskily so that the people drinking around us couldn't listen in, "Relax, okay? I made you a promise. Even if that no good piece of crap _is_ here, as long as he keeps himself away from you, it's fine. I've got no intention of fuckin' up your party. This is me on best boyfriend behavior here, alright?"

"Wow," I giggled, taking another sip and feeling it start to loosen me up. I leant in against Dean's firm chest heavily and snuggled deeper as he held me close with his free arm. There were women eyeing him from almost every corner, but that was okay because _I_ was his girlfriend and tiptoeing up I sweetly pecked him on the cheek, "Thank you."

"Just don't make a habit of sayin' yes to this reunion shit."

"Duly noted. Don't worry, I won't."

For the next twenty minutes we stayed at the bar, sipping our drinks, relaxing a little and with me pointing out old classmates of yore. Despite the fact that everyone was older in many ways surprisingly little had changed. There were still the same stereotypes, divides and special groupings and still that same teenage sense of attempting to _belong_. My facts about people were both short and slightly quirky and in that respect it was a total reversal of roles. Not three months earlier it had been _Dean_ who was explaining and talking me through the roster doing pretty much the same thing.

"Ooh, look, there's Josh O'Bannon, I used to have such a _major_ crush on him. Then I came across him and Kelly dry humping behind the science block and – you know – after that, not so much."

Dean snorted wryly and gestured with his drink,

"What, you liked _that_ guy?"

"I was fourteen, okay? He was on the swim team and he smiled at me this one time – although actually I think he was smiling at someone else and I just sort of got in the way – but when you're a girl that no guy ever looks at, it doesn't take a lot you know."

Dean dropped his head down to nuzzle my ear and I grinned as it tickled me,

"That why you're with me?"

"What? Because I'll take it where I can get it? Probably. But – you know – there is _other_ stuff too."

"The _other stuff_ we were about to do earlier?"

I giggled at him teasingly,

"Maybe, maybe not."

Turning around so I was stood face to face with him, I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist. It didn't really matter that I was surrounded by old classmates, for all I cared it could have just been him and me. Unfortunately however, there was _no_ ignoring Kelly because suddenly there she was, half-dragging Brent.

"Oh my god, sweetie, how are you coping? You must be pretty shocked."

I blinked,

"About what?"

" _Andy_ ," she hissed, lowering her voice a touch, almost as if saying it might make him pop up. It certainly succeeded in tempering my happiness and I stiffened almost instantly,

"Andy?"

"He _showed up_."

The bottom dropped out of my stomach on instinct and a cold chill swept through me. He had _what_? When? Where? I had so many questions and in trying to comprehend them, I lost track of where to start. My long term ex-boyfriend who I hadn't seen in _ages_ and who had ended things so angrily was actually _there_. Would he want to come and talk to me at some point? Would I even _want_ to talk to back? My last abiding memory was of him pushing me over and then a blinding pain. I would _not_ want to talk back. I hadn't even finished the relationship in person. I had phoned him and we had spoken from my hospital bed. Kelly had been sitting beside me angry-ranting and by the end of it she had been shouting right down the line. By the time my elbow had been set into plaster he had already been gone. We'd texted a little in the week directly after, but since then nothing.

The two of us were done.

But precisely because it had ended so badly – and he had turned into someone I no longer knew – I was doubly concerned about meeting him face to face again and I trembled as Kelly pointed,

"He's over there, look."

We all turned to stare and sure enough, there he was. Tall, dark-haired and predictably dapper in a blue pinstripe suit and matching navy tie. Unlike Dean who was leant across the bartop – scruffy but _comfortable_ – Andy looked tight. Looking back he had never seemed totally happy, almost as if he didn't fit his own skin and possibly because of that, or the prospect of seeing me again, he was positively _hammering_ back drinks. Was he drunk? That was _not_ good but as I gasped a little, Dean pulled me close to him,

"Hey, it's fine Lauren, okay? He's right across the room. He hasn't even seen you yet."

" _Yet_?" I squeaked and Dean winced a little, rubbing my arms to counter saying the wrong thing.

"But _if_ he does I'm here, I gotcha. Besides, this guy's not suicidal, right? No way will he come over."

I took a deep breath and looked up at him, surprised by how much I was starting to freak out. I had known it might happen from the moment I'd got the invite and I had thought I was okay with it. But obviously not. Dean was right though – as was his habit – the chances of Andy coming close to me were small. Dean's brows were drawn almost dangerously together and even to the uninitiated he was clearly on red alert. Andy could probably already smell the testosterone and that – if nothing else – would keep him off my back.

"You're right," I sighed, breathing out shakily, "You're totally right. It's going to be fine."

"That's my girl," Dean smiled down winningly, squeezing my fingers, "Fuck him. It's your night."

"Agreed," Kelly nodded firmly from beside me, reminding me absently and she and Brent were still there, "Just let him try and get anywhere near you. I've got my ass-kicking heels on tonight, along with my biggest Princess cut diamond and a dress with a killer split up the side. In other words sweetie, I'm totally ready. Brent, will you hold my stole while I whoop his behind?"

Her good-natured husband chuckled at her adoringly,

"Sure I will honey, but it won't come to that."

"How do you know? We need to make a plan here."

I reached out and held her hands, smiling,

"Kelly? Calm down. I mean, Dean's right, he probably wouldn't even _dream_ of coming over and I doubt he'll even – ,"

I suddenly stopped dead.

From across the room Andy's eyes swung in my direction and I was immediately frozen solid by the intensity of his gaze. The wide hazel eyes which had once been so familiar, swam with several things I couldn't really read and although he was obviously kind of muddled by the alcohol, there was something borderline _distasteful_ as well. He looked like he wished he'd never even seen me. He looked almost angry.

What the hell had _I_ done?

"Come on," Dean grumbled, taking the initiative and pulling me numbly away from the bar. He lead us away from Andy's heated staring and to an almost empty gathering of tables and chairs. I sat down heavily, looking out across the room again and was relieved to find that I couldn't see him from where we were, "Better?"

I nodded, not sure how to put words to it and Dean grunted slightly and folded into a chair. His expression was still wrathful but he was putting me ahead of it and I appreciated that.

A lot.

"Do you think he looked mad?"

"What?"

" _Andy_ ," I whispered, "He looked kind of _mad_ at me. I don't – I mean – I can't think why."

"Lauren, forget him," Dean intoned firmly, "Let the guy look any fuckin' way he wants. He's probably just pissed because he fucked up so badly and knows there's no chance of ever gettin' you back."

"Maybe," I nodded, unable to keep from looking and half-expecting him to turn up through the middle of the crowd.

"There isn't is there?"

"Isn't what?" I replied and Dean took a deep breath,

"A chance of gettin' you back."

For a second I merely blinked at him in horror, taking in his almost _hang-dog_ look. He suddenly didn't seem to want to make eye contact and so I threw myself towards him and seized his face between my hands,

" _What_? No. Never. How could you think that? After everything he did – ,"

"I guess a guy just never knows."

"Hey, Dean _look_ at me," I instructed him commandingly and when he did the blue eyes took the air out of my chest, "I love you, okay? Completely and utterly. More than I've ever loved anyone in my life. I could never go back to him. I wasn't _happy_. You _saved_ me Dean. How can you not know that?"

Dean smirked back at me,

"Nah, I do – just wanted to hear it."

"Asshole."

I slapped his chest. As usual when it came to Dean and his emotions, it seemed we were going to just laugh this one off. But there was also no denying that he'd asked a real question and I both liked and hated that he sometimes felt like that. My boyfriend didn't always feel like he deserved me and I totally understood it.

I didn't deserve him right back.

Grinning a little at how stupid we could both be, I leant in closer until my chair half-flipped up. Dean reached over and steadied it immediately and I took advantage by giving him a kiss. I started by continuing to cup his face lovingly, before deepening the contact and reaching up into his hair. In response his hand slid around to palm my neckline, pulling me in closer like we were melting into one. When we broke apart, the pair of us were panting and I nipped his lip gently,

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Glad to fuckin' hear it."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, you big crazy wrestler."

"No arguments here."

Rolling my eyes and clucking my tongue at him, I still couldn't help but grin at his devilish little smirk. As I moved in again – to kiss the living crap out of him – I was stopped by a shadow falling over where we were and I stiffened in panic as I sensed a new presence.

 _Shit._

What that Andy?

"Lauren Hope?"

I looked up,

"Elliott?" I replied with a frown of sheer bewilderment, "Elliott Thurgood? Is that – is that you?"

The man in front of us flashed a quick grin at me and then reached round what I assumed was his date to proffer a manly hand towards Dean,

"You must be the wrestler boyfriend? Heard all about you, well, everyone has. I used to be friends with Lauren back in High School, although I like to think we've both changed a fair bit since then."

 _That_ was a glorious understatement on his part. He was hardly recognizable from the boy he had been. Back when we were teenagers he'd been pretty chunky, with glasses and braces and a whole mess of hair. Now however he had finally grown into it and with a beard and mid-length curls, he looked pretty good. He hadn't been my _best friend_ by any stretch of the imagination but it was actually nice to see him.

Nicer than Andy anyway.

"Hey man," Dean replied, sensing my easiness and figuring that our newcomer was an okay sort of guy. In response Elliott suddenly remembered his girlfriend and hurried to introduce her,

"Oh, right, this is Rosamie."

At the sound of her name the woman smiled shyly and waggled her fingers at us like a child. She was a _button pretty_ thing, exotic and tiny, with long flowing hair and dark almond-shaped eyes. It didn't really seem like the pair fit together but who was I to question it?

"Nice to meet you," I replied, "So how long have you and Elliott been together?"

"Sorry Lauren, she doesn't speak English quite yet."

I blinked at him surprised,

"Oh, I'm sorry – ,"

"Don't be, we'll get there. She's only just arrived."

My eyes slid across to Dean who smirked back at me and I bit down on my lip, not sure what to say. Luckily however, in the end I didn't have to, as Kelly sauntered over and flopped down by my side.

"Is there anything worse than a non-alcoholic cocktail?" she grumbled disappointedly, "I mean, even the names suck. Virgin this, virgin that. I've just had a baby for Christ sakes. It's been a long time since virgin _anything_ has been my style."

As Brent took a seat beside Dean grinning brightly and slid a cheerful looking drink towards his wife, Kelly belatedly registered Elliott beside her and gasped a little at him,

"Oh my goodness! _ET_?"

The flush it drew across the other man's cheekbones was only surpassed by the red of Kelly's drink and he dropped his head and mumbled something awkwardly, but looking up, coughing,

"I – uh – I'll see you guys around."

The pace he set up as he travelled away from us was almost enough the break the speed of sound and as Kelly giggled softly, Dean looked across at me, questioning us silently and I let out a sigh,

"Elliott Thurgood," I offered, "ET. It was kind of his nickname, or, at least it was to Kel."

"Come on," she snorted, "It's what everyone called him."

"Not me."

She rolled her eyes,

"Yeah but you were no fun."

Reaching across she gently punched my shoulder and I batted her away again as we exchanged mischievous grins.

"So what?" Dean continued, sipping from his tumbler, "The guy was your friend?"

"Not really," I replied, "He had a thing for Kelly, so he just sort of mostly followed us around. He was always pretty harmless though, I don't know. I liked him. He was just so lost and totally awkward. Everyone else used to give him a hard time."

Dean smiled a little and slid an arm around me,

"So if the two of us had gone to school together, does that mean you'd have, like, adopted _me_?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Were you strange and awkward?"

"Still fuckin' am."

"Then it's okay by me. Kelly?" I asked her, petting my boyfriend, "Please can we keep him?"

She snorted,

"You two are so cute."

Unfortunately however our _cuteness_ was cut short again by a sudden ringing from inside my purse. Getting it out was akin to a time trial and I quickly ripped out everything Dean had carefully fitted in. Somewhere beneath the tissues and the lipstick and the medicines and the Band-Aids I finally tracked it down, pulling it loose and drinking the name in quickly, before hitting the accept button and at the same time standing up,

"It's Steph," I whispered, directing it at Dean mostly and gesturing over to the corner of the room. He nodded in understanding and let me move away from him, sweeping the scattered contents back into my purse, "Hey Steph, what's up?"

"Lauren, hi, sorry to interrupt you – ,"

I bent in closer, hardly able to hear. The corner of the room was no quieter than the rest of it and I sighed in frustration,

"Hold on a second Steph – ,"

There was a set of double doors out onto the English corridor and I glanced up at Dean and tried to catch his eye. There were people now milling – and dancing – in front of us and I hovered uncertainly, not wanting to be out of sight.

"Lauren?" I heard Stephanie ask across the phone line, "Lauren, honey? Are you still there?"

Taking a breath I flung the doors open and stepped out of the hall.

"Yep, I'm here."

Big mistake.

* * *

 **We should all know by now that I love my cliffhangers. What can I say? At least I'm consistent!**


	5. Shoutout To My Ex

**Reunion part two, heeeeere's Andy!**

 **Raze Olympus, Here I am again! Popping up like clockwork! And yes the brown stuff most certainly hits the fan. Not for the last time either I might add to that as I clumsily hint at things to come!**

 **Labinnacslove, Well perhaps not** _ **right**_ **outside but I think it's pretty certain that he's hanging around and up to no good as you've already guessed. Some serious drama is about to go down!**

 **Minnie1015, I love your three day** _ **six sense**_ **thing. Did it work today too? Maybe that's your superpower? Also, I am more than happy to have passed on the image of Dean spread across an edible surface of any kind!**

 **AngelsDestiny22, Come on, no cliffhangers? That doesn't sound like me does it now? Glad you're still enjoying these crazy adventures though and that you like crazy Kelly, she's super fun to write!**

 **Mandy, I spend an awful lot of time imaging what they're wearing but I don't tend to write it much because I know we all have our own visions in our head and I don't want to mess with that. But yeah, in that last chapter I couldn't resist because the image was too good** _ **not**_ **to describe!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx Well if I told you what happened next I'd have to kill you...or, no...wait a minute, probably just better if you read it below! Hope it was worth the suspense that I left you on! *Crosses all available fingers and toes***

 **Skovko, Interesting, I've never actually seen Orphan Black, although my dad keeps telling me to watch it (too busy writing I guess!) Maybe I'll have to give it a go now they've copied my characters (joking!)**

 **Psion53, Well, you're right about the ex being bad news but you'll have to read this chapter to find out just how bad! Glad you're still loving protective Dean, plenty of him here!**

 **Unleash the chaos...**

* * *

 **Shoutout To My Ex**

"Sorry about that Steph," I breathed down the phone, relieved to be away from the pulsating beat. Some suspiciously nineties tunes were firing up behind me and from the sounds of it the night's music was going to be pretty bleak, "Is everything okay? Is it something to do with Hunter?"

I couldn't help but feel just a little alarmed. After all, my stepmother very rarely phoned me and never when she knew I was doing other things. For the last month however my father had been recovering from emergency surgery after being hit by a car – a car being driven by one of his employees, but that's another story, a _long_ one at that – and although he was very much nearly recovered, I couldn't help but still sometimes worry a little bit. I guessed it was understandable given what had happened, on top of which I was just getting to know him. No way did I want to lose him again.

"No, no," Steph answered, sensing my anxiety and moving swiftly to put it to bed, "Nothing like that, look, I'm sorry for phoning, I know you've got your reunion going on – ,"

"Don't worry, it's fine. I doubt I'm missing anything."

Except possibly my ex-boyfriend getting steadily more hammered and my best friend spoiling to cross the floor and kick his ass.

"Doesn't sound like much of a party."

I snorted down the line at her,

"Trust me, it's not."

"What about your ex-boyfriend? Did he show up? Please tell me he didn't?"

"Um, no. He – he did."

" _What_?"

Stephanie practically exploded on instinct and then hushed her voice as if there was someone else around. If she was at home then it was probably Hunter and it was _definitely_ for the best that he didn't know. In the few short weeks that Steph and I had become relatives, our once toxic relationship had fortunately grown. So much so that I had told her about Andy and my fear that he would show up and blow the party all to hell. She in turn had told me he wouldn't – that he didn't have a death wish, that he wouldn't even dare. Yet in spite of all that, there Andy was anyway, as bold as brass and getting ever more drunk.

"It's okay though, he's staying well away."

"Is Dean with you?"

"Uh huh – well – I mean, not right this moment but then neither is Andy, so I guess that makes it fine. Honestly Steph, don't worry, I'm good. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"

The corridor I had stepped out of the hall into was a long one lined by shiny red locker doors. Sauntering down it I ran my fingers across the metal and gazed around, marvelling at how little it had changed.

"Magazine."

"Huh?" I blinked in confusion, wondering if I had missed the rest of what was said,

"We were wondering if you would agree to a magazine interview."

" _Me_?" I echoed, laughing disparagingly. I mean, surely she meant it as some sort of joke? Perhaps it was that weird _McMahon_ sense of humour that I was only slowly beginning to figure out. No way would anyone want to read my crazy gabbling. I mean, what would I even say for god sakes?

"Yes Lauren, all you."

"But – but _why_?"

"Because they asked for you – they think you'd be interesting. The boss' long-lost daughter angle."

"But I wouldn't know what I was doing," I replied, a little panicky. I couldn't help it, the whole thing suddenly seemed too much. I was still trying to get my head around the _Andy thing_ and I didn't have the capacity to comprehend a whole lot else, "I mean, I get fresh towels and hand out water. I don't know about all this media _stuff_."

"Which is exactly the point. People like you Lauren – _you_ – just as you are. All you need to do is be yourself, okay? That's all these people really want. Look, if you don't want to do it, then we totally understand alright? But it would be a nice way to promote something new – something that I feel is pretty important too. Wrestling's not just for guys Lauren, we need to put the girls out front and makes us look human – a real _family affair_."

It was perfect Stephanie McMahon manipulation. Giving me an out while reeling me in. I was still pretty new – to both them and the business – which meant I was also still eager to make myself of use. I was gradually getting used to be vaguely in the spotlight and so maybe a tiny interview wouldn't actually hurt? She certainly made it _sound_ pretty simple and so I took a deep breath and nodded,

"O-okay."

There was a momentary pause,

"Okay? Are you sure?"

 _Not really._

I sighed and swiped a hand across my face,

"Yeah, I mean, what harm could it do? I just – I just don't want to let you guys down."

"Lauren sweetie, you could never do that. But thank you, this means a lot. Now go and enjoy your night, you hear? Oh and if that no good ex-boyfriend of yours even _thinks_ of causing trouble, tell him I'll set my lawyers on him. It's been a slow month, they're _itching_ for cases. Some small town asshole could be just what they need."

I chuckled in amusement and shook my head fondly.

 _What a family._

"No problem, I will. Thank you Steph."

"See you on Monday."

"See you on Monday. Love to you both."

I hung up grinning and feeling pretty loved before realizing I had wandered away from the reunion. I had been moving almost absently as I'd absorbed Steph's news and had turned into a corridor of open classroom doors.

 _Wow._

The English block.

Years of happy schooling came flooding straight back to me as I remembered all the times I had stood against the wall, my books clutched to my chest and my foot tapping idly as I waited for Kelly to finish kissing her latest guy. Maybe I should have begrudged her a little more for it, but that was the whole point, I never once had. Kelly might have been a little bit promiscuous but she was also fiercely loyal and a very protective friend. The pair of us had just always seemed to _fit_ together and standing there made me remember that.

"This is so weird."

As my voice echoed loudly off the corridor back in at me, I jumped a little and turned back towards the hall. Technically I shouldn't have even been out there and if Dean had known he'd have probably gone mad. My heels clacked sharply off the tiles as I crossed them and I couldn't help but grin a bit.

Life just felt _good_.

Then suddenly a big hand shot out of nowhere, wrapped around my bicep and yanked me harshly off to one side.

"What in the – _whoa_ – ,"

I stumbled unsteadily, losing my balance as the hand dragged me round like it was towing a small child. In the blink of an eye I was out of the corridor and into a classroom where I collided with a desk. The leg banged my shin and I winced and cursed a little which was swiftly cut off by the slamming of the door. When I looked up there was a figure stood in front of it blocking my exit.

It was Andy.

 _Oh crap._

"Hey," he started, the word sounding garbled and he wobbled a little. Yep, definitely drunk. In response I stepped back, putting the desk in between us and trying to hear something other than my wildly beating heart. I was stupid – _stupid_ – I should have stayed near Dean. I should never have walked off. But it was too late for that now. Andy wobbled again and grabbed at the desktop and as his eyes bored into me I stuttered,

"H-hey."

"Long time no see _Laurie_ ,"

I swallowed,

"Yes it is. Um, how have you been?"

"You mean, _on my own_?"

His voice sounded harsh and sloppy and judgemental and I flinched as it got louder. This was _not_ going well. My head was spinning and my thoughts were flying everywhere. What the hell had happened to him? The Andy that I had known was always so measured, predictable, staid, kind of _boring_ to tell the truth. _This_ Andy however – and the Andy that had pushed me – were variations I simply didn't know and not only did I have next to no chance of reading him, I also didn't know how to placate him as well. My plan – my only plan – was to try and talk calmly and hope that he would ease up and eventually let me out.

God I wanted Dean. He was _right there_ in the gym. He was literally only three doors away. Had he wondered where I was? Was he looking for me right now? Could I keep Andy happy until he got there and got me out?

"I mean – ," I paused to suck a shaky breath in, "I mean have you done the things you wanted to do? I know when we last, um, _talked_ – I guess – about things, you wanted to get a job. Did that work out? What – what are you up to now?"

To my mind it was a pretty safe opening gambit, but Andy merely shrugged,

"What do I do? Well mostly I watch my ex-girlfriend make out with her new guy on fucking live TV. But, you know, when I'm not busy doing _that_ I work in advertising. Got my own office as well."

" _What_?"

Dispensing with the actual _career_ part of the topic – as if either one of us was focused on that – Andy again stepped closer towards me, his eyes narrowing darkly,

"Oh, I think you heard."

I blinked. What was wrong with him? Why the hell was he so mad? Was I not allowed to move on without him or was I just not allowed to do it on screen? Either way it made me feel angry and indignant and hard done by all in one fell swoop. How dare he make out like I was in the wrong here. I wasn't having that.

No way, no how.

"So what if I have?" I frowned, still shaking although I tried to channel Dean and make myself tough, "You and me – I mean – we're not together. I can make out with whoever, _wherever_. I'm sorry you don't like it but that's the way it is. We're both adults here, you don't – you don't own me – ,"

Without warning he exploded.

" _Yes I fucking do_."

The shout was so loud that it rattled at the windows and I actually jumped and let out a little squeak. In a surge of sudden movement, he crossed the space between us and I scrambled quickly backwards and collided with the wall,

"Andy – ," I whimpered, the _Dean style_ bravado falling away from me and being replaced with nauseous fear. He ignored me completely, leaning in closer and I pressed my hands against him to try and lever him away.

"You and me Laurie," he breathed into my face, blowing foul alcohol fumes into my ear, "It was always, _always_ you and me."

"I-it _was_ ," I replied, trying frantically to sound soothing even as my eyes starting prickling with tears, "But sometimes p-people change – ,"

" _You_ fucking changed."

I blinked at his grumble in measures of astonishment and coughed a little in genuine surprise. Was he really serious? Did he think that _I'd_ changed? I wasn't the one that had been violent with him. I wasn't the one who had shoved him around. Something in me flickered and before I could stop it, the words had tumbled out.

"Andy, you broke my _arm_."

Instantly everything around me seemed to stiffen and I felt as Andy physically _shuddered_ beneath my hands. There was a curious look on his face – it wasn't anger – but I was totally baffled what emotion it was. Perhaps it was the look that a serial killer would give to his victim before he struck? At that point almost nothing would have surprised me.

Except for what he actually did.

Tears sprang suddenly into his hazel eyes and he choked back a sob and hauled me in tight. It was easily the most awkward hug of my existence and I trembled in his hold, hating every bit of it.

"I'm sorry Laurie," he mumbled into my shoulder blade, pawing my hair roughly with his one free hand. It wasn't a gesture he had ever used on me before, so I wondered if it was something he'd watched and learnt from Dean. He probably figured it was a safe enough bet. I loved when Dean did it, but it wasn't the same from him, "I'm so, _so_ sorry. I was a horrible boyfriend."

I tried to prize him off again,

"It – it was a mistake, okay? I get that. I get that you never meant to hurt me – ,"

"Never hurt you," he murmured, "Love you too much."

I stopped in the middle of trying to push away from him, aware that the topic had once again changed. Oh dear god, had he just used the _L-word_? How in the hell was I meant to get away now?

"Andy – ," I tried, in tones I hoped were coaxing but he sniffled against my shoulder and then groaned a little,

" _Mmmm_ ,"

It wasn't a terribly reassuring resonance and a shiver ran through me instinctively.

 _Uh oh._

Sure enough, not two seconds later, his lips had dropped down against my bare skin and he slowly started to kiss up my neckline in drunken, _slobbery_ , unwelcome little pecks.

"Andy," I squeaked, trying violently to wriggle out of it, "Andy stop – I don't want this, Andy _no_."

"Come on," he growled at me, holding on tighter and moving his wet lips further up my jaw, "Don't pretend you haven't once missed me. Don't pretend you haven't thought of this."

"I _haven't_ – ,"

"Don't lie," he whispered against me huskily and I shuddered, "This is what we could have had. _This_ is what it could have been like – if you hadn't ditched me to take care of your fucking _mom_."

As my mother was abruptly thrust into the chaos, I froze which gave him the opening to make his move. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, his lips were against mine and his eyes were tightly closed. I protested around his mouth, but he continued to latch on tight to me, grabbing my flailing wrists as I tried to _beat_ him loose. His wet slimy tongue slid across my lips beseechingly and my blood ran cold.

 _No, just no._

In the end I did the only thing I _could_ do. I bit down on it _hard_ and he reeled back with a hiss.

"Jesus Lauren, what the hell was that for – ,"

Although as he looked up I added in a slap, one that caught him right across the cheekbone and echoed _eye-wateringly_ around the room. To be honest the force of it probably surprised both of us, but I had channelled my stepmother and in the process done her proud. I was furious – _furious_ – about what had happened and for the first time in a long time, I didn't want to back down.

"You don't get to _mention_ my mother," I hissed, tears gathering in spite of myself, "You don't get to say you love me – you don't – you don't and you never _ever_ will. My mother loved me, okay? _Dean_ loves me. The only person you love is yourself."

I was actually pretty damn proud of my assessment but the second it was out, I knew I'd done wrong. Angry Andy – the new kid on the block with him – was back on the scene and _holy hell_ was he hot. Not _Dean hot_ either – not cute and fuckable – but hot as in incandescent with wrath. It stole the breath from my throat in an instant and I squeaked and flattened backwards as he suddenly stomped in close.

"You cold-hearted bitch," he snarled across the space at me, raising his hand, "You wanna see love?"

My heart flipped clean over as his knuckles swung towards me, bracing myself for the moment they would hit. For a second, everything seemed to move in slow motion and then suddenly something caught him and spun him clean around.

Dean?

I blinked but the figure in between us wasn't my boyfriend, it was someone else instead and I frowned a little at the black wavy hair-do and the neatly trimmed beard. Where had _he_ come from?

" _Elliott_?"

"Whoa, hey now," he chuckled in tones of nervousness, moving in a step and forcing Andy to back up. It was obvious that to try and temper Andy's fury, he was going with a laid-back, buddy-type approach. It was probably better than confronting him outright. Andy would have ripped him apart, "What's going on here guys? We okay? You're missing the party. Let's head back, what do you say?"

I held my breath, not daring to move as Andy blinked sluggishly.

Then he turned away.

"No."

"No?" Elliott replied brightly, turning to take me in with quickly appraising eyes, "Well then how about I take Lauren here back? Her favourite song's on. She doesn't want to miss that."

With the sudden arrival of somebody else, Andy's fieriness had apparently run dry and he waved an airy hand and then cupped his face a little, mumbling through his fingers.

"Take her, go."

Elliott didn't need any added encouragement and more to the point, neither did I. As he held out his hand, I wrapped my fingers round it, scurrying close as he lead me for the door. I half expected Andy to turn and follow us – to launch for us, to change his mind, _all_ of the above – but he didn't and realizing that the moment was truly over, I let a shaky breath out as we surged from the room.

"Elliott – ," I gasped,

"Jesus, you alright Lauren?"

I nodded, feeling numb,

"Thank you."

"No, no, it's fine."

Back out in the corridor the cool fresh air hit me and I trembled slightly as my panic died off. I was so, so _very_ glad to be out of there but I had so many questions.

"How did you know we were there?"

"I didn't," he sighed as we continued speed-walking, threading past the lockers back towards the hall, "I thought I'd have a little look round the old place. Heard you both yelling. Thank god I did."

I was about to agree – and then more – to that statement, when we slung around the corner and saw a figure at the end. It was stalking towards us with brows drawn together but they softened on seeing me and my heart leapt,

" _Dean_."

In less than a second I had broken free of Elliott and was streaking across the tiles to the man I needed more. Dean continued stalking, but his arms were opened out to me and I practically jumped into them and let him hold me close.

"Lauren?" he frowned, knowing something had happened but clueless as to what, "You okay? What's goin' on? I thought you were just gonna take a damn phone call, then I fuckin' looked up and you were gone."

"Dean – ," I whimpered, my emotions in tatters and unable to form sentences. I shivered instead and realizing that whatever had gone on was clearly serious, Dean _shushed_ me and stroked my hair.

That felt nice.

"Sssh, hey, easy, I'm here,"

"He – he dragged me into the room," I choked out suddenly, big round tears starting to fall thick and fast. Dean wiped them off with his thumb and frowned down at me,

"Who did? Lauren, talk to me. What happened to you?"

"A-Andy."

Dean's whole body stiffened at that and his expression darkened so much I thought it might get lost.

"What did he do?" he growled, "Lauren, _tell me_."

"He – he kissed me,"

"He was going to hit her as well," Elliott put in quietly from behind us and – oh yeah, Elliott – I'd forgotten he was there. Dean glanced down at me, gauging my reaction and my distraught sounding sob told him everything and more. A growl started up in the back of his throat and his fists twitched dangerously,

"Where is the fuckin' guy?"

"No Dean," I sniffed, trying frantically to compose myself, "Please don't go after him, I – I'm okay."

"Lauren, come on, he _forced_ himself on you. He almost fuckin' hurt you _again_. Someone needs to teach this piece of shit a lesson and since he messed with _my girl_ that someone is me."

He went to stride off, but I clung to him tighter, stopping him from taking another heated step,

"Please Dean," I whispered into his shirt front, drinking his scent in, "You – you _promised_ me."

Dean attempted to shrug my arms away frowning, but he was trying to be gentle, not wanting to make things worse. The anger was practically _radiating_ off him and I could tell he was on the verge of losing his head. The last thing I wanted was him being arrested or suspended from his job for something stupid to do with me.

"No, I promised I wouldn't start anythin' _unless_ he touched you. Well guess what? He fuckin' _did_. He put his hands on you Lauren, he fuckin' _frightened_ you. So now it's time for him to pay."

He was in full Shield mode – all wired and eerie – and although I pushed against him, I couldn't make him stop. Luckily a voice broke us out of the _anger fog_ just long enough to briefly turn round,

"Laurie? What's happening?"

Kelly was in the doorway, a drink still in her hand and Brent hovering close behind. In the momentary pause, Rosamie slid past them and scuttled to Elliott as silent as a ghost. _Just_ what we needed, an audience, how helpful. I brushed an errant tear away and vaguely shook my head,

"Kel – ,"

"Her asshole ex-boyfriend just fuckin' assaulted her," Dean put in succinctly and Kelly gasped,

" _What_?"

In the blink of an eye she had thrust aside her mocktail – pushing it into the hands of the long-suffering Brent – and was straight across the space to wrap her arms around me. It was comforting but unfortunately it then freed up Dean, who began to stalk away down the corridor looking for the man who had caused all the pain.

"No," I wailed, "Dean _don't_ – ,"

Brent understood what was happening in an instant and he dashed past us, handing the virgin daiquiri back off. He pushed it into Rosamie's hands silently and the poor woman stared down at it wondering what was going on. It was hard enough to figure out in _English_ , in Thai she didn't stand much of a chance.

"Hold on feller," Brent puffed out breathlessly, rounding in front of Dean and holding up his hands. Dean stopped short but his blue eyes were flashing and in the moment I was worried that Brent might get hurt. Fortunately however, Dean reined back a bit although everything about him still screamed _game on_.

"You're gonna want to get out of my way."

Brent didn't move,

"Look at Lauren Dean,"

The request was so random and seemingly out of nowhere that – mostly through confusion – he did precisely that. The second his eyes settled on my tear-stained face, they softened momentarily and his shoulders dipped a bit. It was clear he that was caught between wanting to comfort me and wanting to murder the reason I needed it at all.

"Someone needs to teach him a lesson," he growled for a second time, but it wasn't quite so raw. Brent nodded slowly, taking the chance to reach over and place a steadying hand on Dean's arm.

"Yes they do, but right now, she needs you. Make your choice dude, it's him or it's her."

Letting out a snarl of frustration, Dean turned around and stalked back towards me. Kelly moved aside the second he was close enough and I essentially crumbled into him, snuffling fit to burst. His arms wrapped round me and pulled me in against him, his lips against my hair as I snuggled in close. A few stray tears clung fast to his shirt front, but neither of us minded.

"I want to kill him."

"I know."

Suddenly it seemed that the raging storm was over and so naturally it was at that moment that Andy chose to emerge, staggering round the corner like a drunk in a parking lot and stopping short on seeing us.

"C'mon Laurie, le's go h'me."

In the short five minutes I'd been out of his clutches, he seemed to have somehow gotten even more trashed and as he pulled free a hip flask and snapped the silver top off, it suddenly became clear how. He had his own supply.

At the sight of my ex-boyfriend – who seemed caught in a time loop, where apparently the two of us had never broken up – Dean stiffened up, his muscles growing tighter and I clung on feverishly not wanting him to snap. Everyone in the corridor seemed frozen like statues, except for Andy who for some reason _wouldn't_ shut up. Letting out a grunt of annoyance, he flapped his hand at me,

"Hey, _c'mon._ M' feelin' like usin' your special lil' notebook. Do it right n' you might ge' lucky 's well."

As my blood ran cold Dean promptly stepped away from me and closed the gap between them in the time it took to blink. He was eerily cool but his anger was pulsating and not even Brent could stop him reeling back his fist.

" _Dean_ – ,"

His knuckles caught Andy right between the eyes and in response Andy's whole head seemed to snap back. His inebriated body went flying along with it – the weight of all the hair gel dragging him down – and he tumbled clumsily into the lockers, his hands flailing wildly as he hit them with a bang. His legs sagged on impact and he slithered earthwards helplessly, although no sooner had he hit ground than Dean had him up, lifting him bodily by the lapels of his jacket and slamming him backwards with another loud crash.

"Dean – ," Brent started, putting a hand on his shoulder, but not even he was crazy enough to pull him off. Dean's eyes were wild and unpredictable – Shield style – and he snarled as he pressed his face in close,

"From now on," he spat as Andy blinked back blearily, trying to work out what was going on, "You keep the fuck away from my girlfriend, you don't look at her, you don't think about her, you don't touch her. You understand? If I ever see you anywhere near her, I'll rip your fuckin' arms off. Then I'll bury you in the ground. I'll chose a place where no one will find you and believe me when I tell you I will happily dig your grave. Do you hear me, huh? I wanna hear you say it. Tell me you fuckin' get it."

Andy squirmed,

"Okay, okay,"

Honestly it was debatable he even knew what was happening but he didn't need to be sober to know that Dean didn't bluff. Around me I felt the gathering shudder – even Rosamie who could at the very least _guess_ what was going on – but despite the intensity of Dean's angry statement, I trusted him implicitly to protect me and keep me safe. Scaring the bejesus out of my asshole ex-boyfriend was all just part of that.

I loved him so much.

With a final shunt back into the lockers – which made Andy bump the base of his skull – Dean let go of him, his knuckles still flexing and for a second I thought he might go for round two. Fortunately he merely shouldered Brent's hand off and turned back towards me, his handsome face grim. Once he was close enough, he held out his hand and I took it without question and snuggled into his side. Behind us Andy was wiping his nose pitifully – broken and bloodied – but I didn't care much. Instead I fell into step beside my boyfriend and drank in his scent like it was manly smelling salts. As he strode by, Brent took Kelly's virgin drink back, smiling at Elliott and Rosamie,

"Night guys."

He returned it to his wife and they followed along behind us, with Kelly chatting fit to burst,

"Oh my _god_ that was amazing. Honestly? That was long overdue. He's just lucky it wasn't me hitting him. I hope it messes up that arrogant little face, he deserves to be scarred."

Brent blinked,

"Sweetie please."

Throughout it all I clung to Dean fiercely, ignoring the stares as we crossed back through the hall. I couldn't hear the music, I couldn't hear the chattering, I couldn't hear anything. Except for Dean,

"You alright?"

I shook my head against him sadly,

"Can we please just go?"

"That's what we're doin', alright? Don't worry Princess, I'm takin' you out of here. This reunion is fuckin' over and done."

* * *

 **So, who would like lashings of comforting Dean in the next chapter? Everyone? Okay, I** _ **think**_ **I can do that...**


	6. Love Doesn't Have To Hurt

**Sweet, caring Dean coming right up!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Yes, you're right he did deserve that punch and I'm glad you liked caring Dean in the last chapter because in this one he pretty much goes into overdrive!**

 **Raze Olympus, Don't worry, a smidge more ass kicking coming up in the very next chapter! You didn't think Andy was just going to give up and go away that easily did you?!**

 **KentuckyShieldFan, Glad you enjoyed the first one and that you're still enjoying reading this one too. Got another three Lauren/Dean stories coming up after this one (maybe more) so stay tuned!**

 **Mandy, Oh he is total boyfriend goals in this story (okay, maybe almost of the Dean/Lauren stories I've written so far) but hey, that's how we like him, right?**

 **Labinnacslove, I think moron is a good word for Andy, although maybe still a bit too kind? He pops up again next chapter too, so tune in for him showing off his moro-ish-ness for the second time!**

 **Guest (Minnie, is that you?!) Protective Dean is super hot, which is possibly why I write it so much. As for poor Andy? Well, it's going to get worse for him before it gets better...only it doesn't get better and he brings it on himself!**

 **Skovko, One hit is all it takes to give someone a black eye or break their nose (so I'm told as I'm not exactly a cage fighter myself) but he gets another go in the next chapter too!**

 **Rebel8954, Yep, Dean kept his promise about not creating a scene at the reunion. Isn't he good? But yeah, Andy's not great at taking the hint unfortunately, so Dean might just have to try again.**

 **Psion53, That won't be the last we see of Elliott either (hinting at things to come) but yeah, good old Dean to the rescue again! He always arrives in the nick of time!**

 **On with the story...**

* * *

 **Love Doesn't Have To Hurt**

For the majority of the journey home the four of us sat in silence. After all, what in the world was anyone supposed to say? The night was in ruins – much like my emotions – and the only thing left to do was go home and go to bed. Tomorrow would be better. I mean, it almost _had_ to be considering it could hardly get any _worse_.

Kelly was still ranting – and sipping her cocktail – from the front seat of their expensive luxury SUV and although I was vaguely aware of her sentiments, I was far more busy half-burrowed into Dean.

"I mean, who the hell does he think he is? I never liked him Laurie – I'm sorry but it's true. The guy always acted like some damn insurance broker instead of a teenager. Seriously, it's not right. And as for this _violent streak_? Never saw it coming. The guy is messed up, alright? Seriously messed up."

Throughout it all, Dean stroked my hair soothingly, running his firm warm fingers across my scalp. He didn't say anything – with Kelly monologuing it was impossible – but that was largely because he was angry as hell. I could feel the tension still running through his muscles and I felt guilty that I had caused it.

Well, partly anyhow.

I had been stupid in going off on my own – _so_ stupid – so in that way, the situation kind of _was_ all my fault. I knew that Andy was going to pose a problem and yet I had put myself directly in harm's way. Dean was right, I _was_ a trouble magnet but that couldn't be coincidence.

It had to be me.

By the time we got back to my mom's little house I felt totally exhausted by the night's weird events. Kelly was still barking but even she had cooled a little and as Brent pulled kerbside, everyone fell quiet.

"You okay sweetie?" he asked me softly, eyes in the rear view seeking me out. I sat up from Dean and wiped my cheeks absently, nodding unconvincingly,

"Uh huh, thanks guys."

It was croaky and wobbly, but the pair of them smiled anyway and Kelly reached around and gave my hand a tug,

"Hey, if you need me, you know where I am okay? I'm serious Laurie, phone, drop by, day or night."

Leaning in across the seats towards her, I enveloped her in a girly and wholly grateful hug.

"I know," I whispered, sniffing again, "I love you."

"Love you too."

Brent patted my back.

By the time we broke apart, Dean was already out of there, slamming shut his door and coming round to open mine. He helped me out while fumbling in his pockets, throwing Brent a nod as he dragged free the keys.

"Take care of her feller," Brent offered gently and Dean grunted an affirmative but said nothing else. With a final look at Kelly, I followed him up the driveway and then shuffled past him as he let me into house.

I didn't pause for long in the hallway, numbly heading for the bathroom instead. Once there I set about taking off my make-up and shedding my shoes and my badly debuted dress. I stared at myself for a minute – or maybe longer – trying to make sense of what had gone on, but failing that and feeling my eyelids drooping, I sighed and trudged dejectedly back to my room.

Inside, Dean was already out of his evening wear and back in sweatpants and a well-worn tee. His hair was still slicked back but he'd clearly mussed his hands through it and he looked up as I came in and sighed at me,

"Hey."

"Hey," I whispered back, standing semi-awkwardly, not sure what to say to him. In response he offered me a tiny little half-sigh and held his arms out before grumbling two syllables,

"C' mere."

Released from my statue-like position in the doorway, I crossed the room towards him and butted up against his chest. His arms folded in around me securely and he held on tight, not saying a word. The scent of his aftershave – even _with_ his dressy clothes off – was comforting and soothing and I breathed it in hard. I was completely surrounded by Dean from every angle and within his cocoon I began to calm down.

It was strange to think that once upon a time it had been Andy who had been the one to put his arms around me in this room. Andy whose job it was to comfort me when I was miserable or pick me up whenever I fell down. Mainly because I'd been with him for so long – since I was a teenager – I had overlooked the signs. The fact that Andy had never been tactile or particularly empathetic or emotionally turned on. I had always just taken it as Andy being _Andy_ and never knowing different, I'd simply bumbled along. But being with Dean – being so protected – made me realize that my love for Andy had been a sham. I had thought I had everything that a girl ever wanted, but now I knew that I had been _dead_ wrong.

How the hell could I have misjudged it so badly? What had happened to the dull but _benign_ man I used to know? Sucking a shaky breath in, I hugged Dean even deeper and snuggled in against him as I tried to fill the hole,

"I'm sorry," I whispered, the words getting lost within him, but he heard them nonetheless and rumbled back at me,

"For what?"

"For ruining the evening."

Dean kissed my hairline and shook his head slowly,

"Wasn't your fault."

"But I went off alone."

"You went to take a _phone call_ Lauren," Dean growled tightly, "That's fuckin' all. How were you supposed to know that fucker would follow you? I don't want you takin' the blame for this, okay?"

"Okay," I murmured, not fully believing him but he kissed my forehead and levered me off,

"Good, I – uh – I got you a tea, one of those weird fuckin' strawberry deals you like."

Blinking a little I glanced towards the nightstand and – sure enough – there sat a happily steaming cup. I had recently taken to herbal infusions to chase away the winter chill before bed and while Dean had ribbed me about it almost constantly, when he thought it would help, he had rustled me one up. In the moment it was the sweetest thing he could have done for me and I suddenly started crying, overwhelmed by it all.

" _Whoa_ ," he exhaled, his arms folding in again, "Princess? What's happenin'? What's goin' on?"

"Don't know – ," I choked out, "I just want to cry."

"Knew I should have made you an Irish coffee instead."

His sentence made me laugh and I sucked a few tears in as my swirling emotions collided into one. Honestly I didn't know _what_ I was feeling and it was sapping my energy trying to figure it all out. Dean continued to hold me against him until the gulps stopped and I tailed off into a series of staccato breaths.

"He was going to hit me," I whispered in the silence, somehow needing to say it to myself.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Do you want to hear?"

"No, but tell me anyway."

"Please don't get mad."

At the sound of my plea, Dean stepped away from me, taking my hand and leading me over to the bed. Since the room was tiny, it didn't take us long to get there and I fell down onto it and let out a sigh. Given that it was pushed into the corner of the bedroom, I scooted my butt backwards until my shoulders hit the wall. Reaching over, I grabbed up a pillow and clung onto it tightly like I was seven years old. Dean took a seat on the edge of the mattress but his expression was troubled,

"You get that I'm not him, don't you? You _do_ know that, right?"

I blinked in confusion, not sure what he was getting at,

"I – I know,"

He sighed,

"What I _mean_ is that I'm never gonna suddenly change and hurt you. I could never hurt you – you're the fuckin' best thing in my life. And look, I _know_ that I use my fists for a livin' and kick the crap out of people but that's different, alright? _You're_ different Lauren. You mean too fuckin' much to me. I don't wanna lose you."

I gripped his hand,

"You won't."

Dean's blue eyes slid up to meet me and he looked hesitant, like he wasn't sure I was being true. To show him I meant it, I turned his hand over and began to run my fingertips over his palm. He shut his eyes briefly and his whole body trembled, stopping as he blew out a pent-up little breath,

"Princess – ," he closed his hand around my fingers, stilling the motion, "Tell me what he did."

 _Oh._

I swallowed.

 _Well, here goes._

"He – he grabbed me as I was walking down the corridor and dragged me into a classroom. I didn't even know he was there. I thought – I thought he was still in the hall with everybody else."

Dean grunted in response to that, clearly having thought pretty much the same thing. Absently I looked down in the direction of my nails, which I'd carefully painted before we'd gone out. I was pretty impressed with my little home manicure, but in the end I hadn't got the chance to show them off. Thanks for that Andy. Why had I bothered?

"Then what?" Dean prompted and I glanced up startled, my mind having wandered almost totally off. His eyes were boring into me and for a moment I lost power until he sighed and handed the mug of tea across, "Here."

I clung onto it like it was some sort of life raft and took a little sip which soothed my knotted throat. In the brief pause, Dean laid his hand across my kneecap and both things gave me the strength to carry on.

"He was angry with me," I offered eventually, "I – I've never seen him so angry with me before."

"Why?" Dean frowned, "What the fuck have _you_ done?"

"He didn't – um – he didn't like that you and me had kissed on screen in front of the whole world."

"Lauren, you're my fuckin' girlfriend, I'll kiss you wherever I want to, okay?"

"I know," I nodded, "That's what I said. He – he didn't like that very much. He told me – ," I stopped, unable to say it because the words just sounded so _wrong_ in my head. I knew that out loud they were going to be worse and I knew he would react to them,

"What? What did he say?"

"He said he owned me."

Dean tensed visibly,

"No he fuckin' doesn't."

I bit my lip,

"I know. I know he doesn't but it's just the _way_ he said it – he screamed it at me and then he pushed me into the wall. He started to cry and then – he started kissing me. Just – just sort of, along my neck at first and I tried to push him off but I couldn't make him move. He kept on saying he knew that I'd missed him and I was trying to tell him no, but then he kissed me on the lips and I was hitting him and _hitting_ him and I fought to get him off me, really I did, but I couldn't do it and – ,"

I broke off with a sob.

Throughout the narrative I had been starting to get flashbacks and that one was easily the worst of the bunch. My hand wobbled slightly and the tea mug faltered, but Dean moved in and swept it back up, plucking it out of my shaking fingers and returning it to the nightstand before shifting himself across.

"Sssh," he soothed instantly, shuffling backwards before wrapping his arms around me tight. His body and his tone were still tense with anger but he was trying to fight it down for me and I appreciated that, "Sssh, I know, I know. I believe you. I know you would've fought it."

"I – I bit his tongue,"

He palmed my hair but I could hear him grinning wickedly, his lips turning up in a snarl,

" _That's_ my girl."

"I told him he never loved me, I told him that you did."

"That why he tried to sock you?"

"Kind of," I shrugged, "I – I slapped him too, right across the cheek. I don't think that helped."

Dean shook his head,

"The bastard deserved it Lauren and honestly baby? I gotta say, I'm lovin' this whole _hit 'em up_ style. He asked for everythin' he got from you tonight and _then_ some. I'm fuckin' proud of you Princess, you know that, right?"

As the details of what had happened came slowly fluttering back to me, a fresh round of tears sprang into my eyes and I turned towards him and crumpled into his stomach, wrapping my arms around him,

"Dean? He blamed my mom."

His hands came down to rub across my back and I could hear his confusion,

"Blamed her for what?"

"Everything that happened. He said it was her fault. How could he say that?"

A tear trailed down my cheek and dripped onto his t-shirt and he held me closer and hauled in a breath.

"Lauren, the guy's a fuckin' asshole, alright? You saw him, the piece of shit was trashed. I doubt even _he_ knew what the fuck he was sayin' – not that I'm makin' excuses for the guy."

"He said I changed."

Dean shrugged,

"So? You did. You changed from someone who was in a bad relationship to someone who got the hell out of there. How's that a bad thing? That's a fuckin' _good_ thing."

I blinked a little, surprised by his reaction and I lifted my head to look at him,

"You – you know I love you, right?"

In return he kissed me again fiercely, his lips clamping down and chasing away the last sensations and the very last _taste_ of Andy from my mouth. My face began to tingle and the feeling was a warm one and it made me feel myself –

Or maybe something else.

"Love you back Princess," he offered once he'd surfaced, finishing off with a peck to my head.

Licking my lips, I shifted up so I could straddle him and he let me do it, putting steadying hands across my ass. Reaching forward, I tugging at his shirt collar before smoothing my hands down over his abs. Blue eyes watched me – looking almost lazy – and I leant towards his ear,

"Weren't we kind of doing something _else_ earlier?"

He smirked a little,

"We were? Can't recall."

"We were _about_ to anyway and I seem to remember promising we could as soon as we got home."

Moving even closer, I licked across his earlobe, pulling it gently between my lips. Dean sucked in a breath and his body seemed to stiffen, along with the tell-tale signs of something else. Emotions, sensations and errant thoughts swirled inside of me, which was why I was surprised when Dean suddenly moved. Reaching around my back, he cradled me firmly and then rolled us over as one until I was lying on my back. My head was on the pillow and Dean was suspended over me, but rather than looking lustful, he greeted me with a smile. Leaning in, he pecked me on the lips and then sat back,

"Easy Princess, okay? Not tonight."

"Huh?" I blinked, feeling bewildered, "Why – why not?"

"Because," he sighed, lifting his hands up and brushing them though his untidy hair, "Some guy just got done god damn manhandlin' you. He treated you like a fuckin' piece of meat. I'm not gonna do that, alright? Not tonight. I'm not him Lauren – I'm not like him."

"But – ,"

He leaned in and kissed me again softly, stifling my protests,

"Go to fuckin' sleep."

To make his point, he folded back the covers and slid into them before beckoning me close. I didn't need a whole lot of encouragement on the matter and gladly snuggled down before letting him tuck us in. Once I was safely huddled into his chest, he reached across and flipped the light off and the whole place went dark and totally silent.

It was blissful.

For the first time I felt like I could _breathe_ again and I exhaled heavily but contentedly as well. As my eyes fluttered shut, I realized how completely drained I was and I had almost fallen under when Dean cleared his throat,

"Princess?"

" _Hmm_?" I mumbled back sleepily and he brushed my hair back gently and snorted at the response,

"He mentioned your notebook."

My eyes flew open.

 _Crap._

"Um, _uh huh_."

Where was he going with this? Was he angry that Andy knew? Had that ruined it for him? The fact that his fingers were still brushing my hair lightly told that at least he wasn't annoyed, but I didn't really know what he was asking me or what he was getting at and in the pause, I held my breath.

"So I guess it was – like – what? A thing you did together? As a couple I mean? Adding all those tips and shit? He helped you write it. That how he knows about it?"

I actually gasped,

"What? _God_ no. I never would have shared it with him, _ever_ ," I shook my head, "He found it one day. Kinda wished he hadn't – it was pretty embarrassing. He wouldn't stop talking about it. It was like he'd found the Holy Grail."

"Hold up," Dean blinked and I was tucked in so close to him, with my forehead snuggled up under his chin that I could actually hear his eyelids moving. It was like I was _part_ of him. I wish I could've been, "You didn't actually _tell_ him about the notebook?"

"No way."

He paused for a second,

"You told me."

"That's different," I shrugged, repeating his words from earlier and meaning them completely, " _You're_ different Dean. I knew you wouldn't judge me for it or use it against me. I trust you."

He grunted,

"Oh, you trust me, huh?"

"Yep," I replied and his hands traced down me to tickle across my ribs and I let out a squeal, " _Dean_."

In the darkness he found out my head again and kissed it and I snuggled in closer,

"I fuckin' love you Lauren Hope, even though you find trouble way too fuckin' easily and give me fuckin' nightmares – you keep me on my toes."

I reached up a hand and palmed his cheek sleepily, the exhaustion sweeping in again,

"Thank you for breaking my ex's nose."

He chuckled roughly and his chest vibrated with it, which made me shiver happily,

"Anythin' for you."

The entire evening had been a disaster but my night was ending on a much sweeter note. For all the things that had gone wrong in the last year – for all I had lost or been physically _dragged_ into – I still had the best thing lying right beside me and he wasn't going anywhere.

I went out like a light.

* * *

 **Alrighty then, bit more Andy in the next chapter, so hang onto your hats folks!**


	7. Won't Take It Lying Down

**Andy part two and the last we're going to see of him so after this chapter we can wave his ass goodbye! Well, unless I bring him back in another story I suppose!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Can't promise it will be quite the beat down you're after, but I think it's safe to say the message is put across and not necessarily by who you expect either...hope you enjoy it!**

 **Labinnacslove, Don't worry, there's still a few more chapters of this story to come and then another three stories after that (maybe even one or two more, let's just say I've got ideas!)**

 **Kayla English, Don't you worry, the tricks come out to play in the very next chapter and it's just the tiniest bit kinky as well! Plus the notebook makes an appearance and...well...you're just going to have to wait and find out!**

 **Psion53, Oh yeah, there's nothing a man can do to prove he loves a girl more than to turn down sex when he thinks she's upset. He gets a bit of action in the very next chapter though, so his chivalry gets rewarded in the traditional way!**

 **Raze Olympus, Haha, I wish I could tell you that's what happens but I think the guys would be fired and sued for powerbombing a civilian (although it would be really fun). Still, I hope you think Andy gets his comeuppance here, even if it's not in the way you might expect.**

 **Moxley Gal1, Probably not very happy I would think, although Lauren gets some balls of her own in this chapter, read on and let me know what you think!**

 **Mandy, Yep, love means breaking somebody else's nose (or at least in Dean's world it does anyhow) bless him, he's not a typical boyfriend but at least he tries and mostly gets it right!**

 **Minnie1015, It was just the fact that you mentioned watching your emails and so I took the chance and hoped it was you (otherwise I would have had a very confused guest on my hands!) Glad you like my version of Dean, loving badass is definitely my ideal!**

 **Skovko, Yep, Dean reserves a special brand of sweetness just for Lauren. Keeping it in his pants to make tea for her instead is all just part of that (but sssh, don't tell anyone else, he has a reputation to maintain!)**

 **MizHyde, Hey, you know you don't have to apologise! Besides, I've been posting like a maniac lately so I don't blame you for letting some updates fall through the cracks! Just as long as you're still enjoying it, that's all that matters! Oh and yeah, it's not over yet!**

 **Time for some Lauren personal growth...**

* * *

 **Won't Take It Lying Down**

I woke in the morning to the ringing of my phone and groaned in confusion and unhappiness as well. It was one of those awakenings that takes a moment to register and where you have to work out exactly who and where you are. Even as I was trying to figure that out however, I was rolling and groping across the nightstand for my cell.

My hand crashed into the half-full mug of sweet tea and rocked it, slopping some over the brim,

"Crap,"

But with my phone still juddering impatiently in the background, I didn't have a whole lot of time to complain and so shunting aside my unloved alarm clock I snatched it up triumphantly and squinted at it,

"Oh."

 _Hunter (Dad) Cell._

My father was calling me and I suddenly stiffened, trying to work out what the hell he might want. Was he simply calling to catch up on how things were with me or had he somehow rumbled about last night? Maybe Dean had called him and told him? Which didn't seem likely and – wait – to that point, where _was_ Dean? The left hand side of the bed was empty and also pretty cold. I blinked. Where had he gone?

Glancing around I hit the call button and mumbled the single word sleepily,

"Hello?"

"Sorry kiddo, hope I didn't wake you?"

"Um, not really, no," I lied, craning my free ear in the direction of the hallway and trying to hear the shower which seemed tellingly quiet, "Is – uh – is everything, you know, okay with you guys?"

Hunter chuckled softly,

"Everything's fine."

Leaning over the mattress to our cases, I hooked Dean's lazily across the floor with my foot, quickly scanning the haphazardly packed contents and noticing that some of his fresh clothes were gone.

"Oh, okay, well that's – that's good then. So, this is just a catch up call?"

"Sort of," Hunter offered back at me idly, "Stephanie reminded me your reunion was last night. I was just kind of wondering how it went? I take it Ambrose behaved himself for you?"

I paused momentarily and shivered a little as I debated exactly what my stepmother might have said. Obviously Hunter knew about the party – I'd told him about it when I'd pleaded for time off – but did he know about my angry ex-boyfriend and the distinct possibility he might have turned up? I mean, I wouldn't exactly have _blamed_ Steph for telling him but I really, really hoped she'd kept her mouth shut. On the flip side however, he didn't seem angry or tense _or_ grumbly with bloodthirsty revenge, so I came to the conclusion he was genuinely asking and slid from the bed with an unseen nod,

"Dean was _great_ – um – made the night bearable."

Well _that_ was true at least – in more ways than one.

Crossing the room shivering, I unhooked my velvet bathrobe and clamped the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I quickly slid into it in an attempt to keep warm.

"I'm glad to hear it. So everything went well then?"

" _Kind of_ ," I shrugged, padding out into the hallway on the hunt for my boyfriend, "Met some people I used to know. Got caught up with what they're doing and everything – you know – just _checking in_ with how they are."

Strictly speaking _that_ part was true as well, although naturally I decided to skip the minor detail where one of the people I had managed to _check in_ with had trapped me in an empty classroom, kissed me and nearly slapped me before being punched across the features in front of all my friends.

Which raised another very pertinent question which was starting to engulf me.

Where the hell was Dean at now?

A shot of sudden terror laced clean through me as I wondered whether he had got tired and left. Maybe he didn't like Wisconsin like I thought he did? Maybe it was my mother's house. Maybe it was _me_. I briskly walked from the kitchen to the living room, my heart beginning to thump in my chest and all the while Hunter continued to chatter, unaware of my freak-out.

"So we'll start it from then."

"Huh?" I responded, looking around frantically and then biting my lip at the continued lack of Dean, "Start what when?"

"The interview," Hunter answered, "On Monday if that's okay?"

"The interview? What?"

"You."

"Me?"

" _Lauren_ ," Hunter paused, "Are you sure you're okay kid? Stephanie talked to you about this last night. Are you hungover? It's fine if you are – I mean, I can always call back – ,"

"What?" I blinked at him, "No, I'm not hungover."

Then suddenly the whole thing came flooding straight back, in glorious technicolour with all the random details.

Magazine interview. Me. Women out front.

Right.

Of course that particular nugget of information had been passed along to me before the whole _Andy thing_ and so not only had I promptly forgotten all about it, I had kind of stopped caring about it as well. Now however, I was fully back on board again and I gasped a little,

" _Oh_ , okay."

"Steph said you were kind of nervous about it, so we figured it was best to get it done right away?"

"Yep, no," I offered back unhelpfully, before adding more firmly, "Sounds fine by me."

"Good."

As I padded into the kitchen for a second time, a piece of paper on the counter caught my eye and my stomach somersaulted at the sight of Dean's writing and the familiar flourish of his spidery scrawl.

 _Princess,_

 _Gone for a run._

 _D._

Well _that_ was a relief.

He hadn't run off.

Well, essentially he _had_ done although fortunately I now had proof he would be back. Letting out a sigh of sudden contentment, I plopped down onto one of the bar stools heavily and poured some still-hot coffee for myself.

"Lauren?"

"Huh?"

"I said are you sure you're okay with this whole thing?"

"The interview?" I took a sip with a nod, "Yeah, that's okay, just – don't expect too much from me."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. You have done before."

"Thanks – Dad."

I trembled a little at being able to say it and hearing the word sailing over my lips. It was a feeling that hadn't totally died away yet although I didn't always use it. It was _Hunter_ for the most part.

"No problem kiddo," he replied, clearly smiling, touched – as he always was – to hear it being said, I'll let you get back to Ambrose now. Relax, okay? Enjoy the rest of your time off."

"I will, I promise. See you on Monday."

"See you on Monday Lauren."

Then he rang off and I settled back against the stool and let out a fully contented sounding sigh. With caffeine in my system I was starting to feel perkier and I took and deep breath and stretched my limbs out. In the cold light of day – and _god_ was it cold – I could reflect on the previous night's events better and I actually felt kind of _pragmatic_ about it all.

Okay, so my asshole ex-boyfriend had assaulted me and scared the crap out of me and that wasn't good. But what _had_ been good was how my _now_ -boyfriend had reacted and how loving and supportive and sensitive he'd been. It made all my decisions in the last few months seem worth it and it was strange that my old life felt so far away. I was happy to be back in my mom's house again naturally, but it simply wasn't my home anymore. Vegas was my home now because it was where Dean was and everything else – _especially_ Andy – seemed wildly unimportant next to that fact.

I wasn't going to ever even think about Andy.

He was officially dead to me.

No more ex.

As one of my mother's many clocks chimed the hour, I drained the rest of my coffee and stood up, crossing to the sink to wash up my mug and wondering where the morning had gone. It was probably a good idea to be made-up, dressed and ready before Dean reappeared or else he'd never let up. Of course naturally as I scrubbed the inside of my cup out, I heard the door lock click, although I didn't look round,

"I know, I know," I shouted down the hall at him, peering over my shoulder a bit, "I'm not dressed yet, okay? I'm just going to do it now. Besides Dean, I'm on vacation here remember? If a girl can't slouch around the house on her day off, then when _can_ she do it? So don't give me that look. How was your run? Wasn't too cold for you out there? You'd better not be in those teeny tiny shorts – ,"

"Laurie?"

The voice that responded to my monologue sent a bolt of cold ice straight through my heart and I whipped round, my mouth dropping almost fully open as I clumsily set down the dripping china mug.

" _Andy_?"

Sure enough he was standing right in front of me, looking a little sheepish but not a whole lot else. Wait, that wasn't true, he was also looking hungover, with his eyes slightly red and marginally glassy and his hair and his shirt just a fraction off-set. Nothing major by everyday standards but for Andrew Taylor it was practically _undressed_. Hardly surprising given how much he'd drunken but it was still a bit unsettling.

The whole _thing_ was.

Blinking a little blearily, he stepped in towards me and I instantly skittered several steps back. Unfortunately however, I was already against the draining board and I slammed into the cupboards, with nowhere else to go. Up closer I could see a red band across his nose-arch and the tell-tale dark circles around his eyes from Dean's punch. It was no less than he deserved but it was also a reminder of what he had tried to do and it chased away my calm. Seeing my abject terror however, he quickly held his hands up and stayed where he was.

What in the hell was going on?

"How – ," I started, trying to sound angry despite the fact that my knees were trembling and my palms were slick with sweat, "How did you get in here?"

He held up a key up to me, shrugging lightly,

"I just used the spare. You – uh – still keep it in the same place you used to. Might want to move it."

I frowned at him,

" _Leave_."

"No."

"Leave me alone Andy."

By way of an answer he simply shook his head and I felt a knot rise up in my throat as his watery eyes absently travelled down my front. It was at that point I remembered that I was wearing very little and I instantly drew my robe in tight. Why the hell had I bought such a short one? Why couldn't I have opted for a full floor-length design? His gaze drew up again – sensing my discomfort – and in the brief pause I quickly looked around for my phone. It was sitting on the counter midway between us and there was no way I could grab it without him getting there as well.

 _God_ I wanted Dean so badly.

Was he on his way home? Might he come through the door?

Drawing myself up a little, I cleared my throat vaguely and tried to sound cool,

"Um, Dean's here you know. He – he's just in the shower. So I would go before he gets out. If he sees you here with me he'll go crazy and _trust me_ you won't like him when he does."

It wasn't a lie – well, at least the last bit wasn't – although Andy merely smirked and sighed,

"I know he's not here. I saw him go out and you just said yourself he was off for a run. I'm not an idiot Laurie."

"Could have fooled me."

The sentence came out before I could stop it and from a place of frustration that I didn't know I had. It was the final straw in my relationship with Andy. I didn't love him, he frightened me and he angered me as well. It actually filled me with a shot of pure adrenaline although the look on his face made me shiver as well.

"Don't be like that Laurie."

"Don't call me that."

He blinked a little,

"Call you what?"

" _Laurie_."

"That – that's your name."

"My _nickname_ , yes. It's what my friends call me – ,"

"Is that what _he_ calls you?" Andy spat back and as his hazel eyes grew stormy once more my heart lurched bodily into my throat.

"No," I whispered back, "Actually he calls me Princess."

Or occasionally _baby_ or sometimes _Dirty Girl_.

"I'll bet he does," Andy snorted roughly and the way he sounded disparaging of the fact that my boyfriend had a pet name for me put me instantly on defence,

"Why are you here?"

He sobered again quickly,

"To apologize for what I did to you last night."

"What you _did_?" I repeated, suddenly feeling bold again, which was pretty damn unusual for me. Clearly being around Dean had rubbed off on me and I was channelling his steely-eyed, _in-ring_ , promo trait, "Which part would that be? Kissing me when I clearly didn't want you to touch me or then almost slapping me right across the face?"

Andy's eye twitched,

"Hey, you hit _me_ , remember?"

"Because you _kissed_ me – you stuck your tongue down my throat – ,"

"Which I'm here _apologizing_ for damn it," he yelled suddenly and I flinched as a tiny little squeak escaped my throat. Who was I kidding? No way was I Dean. I might have been able to pretend I was a tough girl but no _way_ did I have the expertise to back it up. My knees were still trembling like rubber beneath me and I wondered briefly how long they'd keep me up. In front of me Andy sighed and momentarily turned away from me and I debated making a sprint for the door. Before I could make my legs respond to it however, he spun back around seeming newly, weirdly calm, "Look, I just – I just wanted to make amends with you. We've been through too much to end things like this."

I blinked at him.

Was he honestly for real here?

"Andy," I whispered, "You _broke my arm_ , you – you frightened me. I don't know who you are now and what's more, I don't _want_ to. So please – _please_ – just go."

His face was a million different emotions but suddenly mine was pure relief because over his shoulder and through the lounge window, I could see a familiar figure jogging up the drive.

 _Thank god._

Dean was back, so whatever else happened, it would all be okay now and I wasn't alone. Andy however wasn't so contented and since he had no concept of his nemesis being imminent, he felt blissfully free to get angry again,

"Why do you have to be so damn difficult? Accept my apology."

I took a breath,

"No."

Perhaps naively, the last thing I was expecting was for him to almost _physically_ explode and so when he snatched a glass up from the counter and hurled it at the wall I let out a shrill yelp.

" _Andy_ – ,"

"I'm _sorry_. Why won't you just accept that? You're making me out to be someone I'm not. I can't take these _games_ you're playing with me Laurie – it isn't fair."

"What? I – I'm not playing any games."

He snorted in response to me but his answer was halted by the rattle of keys and the click of the lock. Relief flooded through me like a jet stream of hot energy and I sagged against the counter and exhaled the name,

" _Dean_."

Slamming shut the door he came along the hall towards me – not having seen Andy who was just out of his line of sight – but he'd heard my breathy voice and he cocked his head slightly, furrowing his brow at me,

"Princess? You alright?"

I shook my head.

 _No_.

Across to my left – and on hearing Dean's voice – Andy had stiffened but otherwise not moved and so the two of us adopted a strange artistic tableau which I would have entitled _Kitchen Before The Fight_. As Dean stepped in and made to come towards me, he suddenly realized that someone else was there and his head snapped round to drink in the intruder before his eyes grew narrow. He followed up with a growl,

"The _fuck_ is he doing here?" he barked out angrily as storm clouds gathered directly above his head. His entire body was tense and poised for action despite still not knowing what exactly was going on. His fists were clenched and his broad and tightened chest began to strain against his plain black tee. A waft of familiar and glorious aftershave washed over me and I started uncertainly in tones of relief,

"Dean, he – ,"

My boyfriend cut me off quickly, glancing across and holding out a hand. Obviously he had decided he didn't like me so far away from him and in the scheme of things I was on board with that.

"Lauren come here," he ordered briskly, before both our eyes wandered back across the room. Moving towards Dean meant walking in front of Andy and after last night and everything that had happened, I was no longer certain of what he might do, "It's fine Lauren, he's not gonna hurt you. _Are you asshole_?"

Andy didn't reply to that but he looked a little like the fight had drained out of him and so as Dean's hand jiggled impatiently in the air, I took my chance and reached out towards it, crossing the kitchen in a nervous little sprint. Once I was close enough, Dean grabbed hold, hauling me in and up against his body where I could finally inhale in deep full breaths.

"You alright?" he grumbled, eyes never leaving Andy but his tone softening slightly and I nodded,

"I'm fine."

"What the fuck is he doin' here Lauren? You let him in?"

I bit my lip,

"No."

"You're sayin' he _broke_ in?"

"He – he found the spare key."

Dean looked down at me decidedly unhappy, repeating himself firmly,

"Lauren, that's fuckin' _breakin' in_."

As it dawned on me that he was probably right – and of the two of us, far more likely to know – the man in question cleared his throat pointedly and boldly stepped forward, frowning at Dean,

"Don't blame her. This isn't her fault."

 _Oh god._

Was he actually trying to _defend_ me? Defend me from what? The man I loved? After everything Andy had done to me recently, it was a terrible time for his chivalrous side to show up. If he'd ever even had one that was. Looking back, I strongly began to doubt it and clearly thinking the exact same thing, Dean's face twitched in a mask of pure anger that wasn't going anywhere fast. His voice when he spoke was so low and dangerous it that even made _me_ shiver,

"I didn't say you could speak."

"I don't need your permission," Andy fired back at him, either bravely or stupidly and it wasn't the first, "I'm an American and this is a free country – ,"

Dean growled audibly,

"Not in this house it's not. Not when you break in and terrorize my girlfriend. Didn't I promise to put you in the ground if you came at her again? I'm pretty fuckin' sure I did and do you wanna know a little somethin' about me, asshole? I always keep my promises. Don't believe that? Ask her."

Not sure what else to do, I mildly nodded and then stopped as Andy's eyes slid back to me. He drew a deep breath in and chose a new tactic. One which apparently involved ignoring Dean,

"Laurie – ,"

 _Ugh._

Still with the _Laurie_ thing? I grunted a little but my boyfriend got there first, shifting his body across so he was blocking me and removing Andy's face from my limited line of sight,

"The fuck are you doin' man? You don't get to talk to her. You lost that right when you forced yourself on her and pushed her around and when you broke her fuckin' arm – ,"

" _Accidentally_."

Dean shook his head,

"No. Fuck that. You talk to _me._ "

Andy ignored him again.

Not smart.

"Laurie, if you just give me a chance – ,"

But those were the only words he spoke because no sooner was the tentative offer put out there, than Dean was abruptly on the move again, darting across the short gap between them and slamming Andy straight back into the wall.

" _Dean_ ," I barked, but there wasn't a lot of hope in it – he was almost beyond the point of no return.

"What did I say fucker? _What did I say to you_?"

His fists were balled in Andy's crumpled collar, pulling the two sides in close across his throat. Rather than looking frightened however, the action made Andy choke out a little smile and the action was so odd and totally _eerie_ that it made Dean's fingers loosen up a touch.

What the hell was going on _now_?

"So this is your great new boyfriend, huh Laurie? He's no better than I am – in actual fact he's _worse_. You really think someone with this much anger is going to keep his hands to himself? You say he loves you and you love him but seeing him like this, doesn't it _frighten_ you?"

I gaped at him in shock.

No way was he trying to put things onto _Dean_ now. Was he seriously messing with my boyfriend like that? Despite my total disbelief however, that was exactly what was going down and Dean stared back at him, startled into silence and actually looking borderline _horrified_ as well. In a calculated guess – and that was all it was, a lucky guess and nothing more – he had hit on Dean's worst fears for our relationship and our earlier conversation came flooding right back,

 _I'm not him Lauren – I'm not like him._

Now Andy was trying to tell him he was and seeing the conflict I stepped in closer and gently placed my hand on Dean's arm,

"No, alright? No he doesn't frighten me. He wouldn't do that. Not to me. I mean – yes, okay – he gets angry but he gets angry _for_ me not _at_ me like you were. That's not what he's like. I never feel unsafe when I'm with Dean – _ever_ – but that's what I feel around you all the time. I love him and I trust him and I don't care what you say to me, neither of those things are going to change."

My speech had been entirely directed at Andy but in the interim Dean had been watching me as well and there was an expression on his face that made me feel giddy. A mixture of adoration, fierce pride and relief. In many ways it was a sweet and reinforcing moment for us, so it was typical that Andy had to blow it all away.

"You always were a simple girl Laurie," he snarled at me suddenly, "Nothing much has changed."

 _Damn._

Before I could react to it however, Dean brought his hands up onto Andy's shoulders and pulled him forwards to deliver a swift knee. It caught him midway between his groin and his ribcage and from the way he reacted, it managed to catch both,

" _Son of a bitch_ – ,"

Dean grabbed him again fiercely, snapping him up by wrenching his shirt collar from the back. As Andy puffed and turned red and _pinched-looking_ , Dean dropped his head and let it hover in close,

"I already warned you fucker, don't talk to her – ,"

Andy shuddered bodily and I sucked a little gasp in, not exactly wanting World War Three to break out. We already had a smashed tumbler to deal with _and_ the general fallout, I didn't need anymore.

"Dean," I whispered, sounding emotional because I was suddenly tired and so _so_ cold. It was freaking _November_ and we were staying in Wisconsin and there I was in just a tiny little robe, "Please, just make him – just make him get out of here. I want him to leave. I want him to go."

His fierce blue eyes slid across to mine appraisingly and he drank in my shivering and then let out a growl. If I'd had to translate it from _Deanish_ to English then I'd have probably guessed it meant _but I wanted to beat him up_. Instead however – and purely because he loved me – he bit it back a sigh and then jerked Andy up,

"You fuckin' heard her, get the fuck outta here."

For extra good measure he gave him a shove and Andy stumbled towards the kitchen door unsteadily, before stopping and having the gall to straighten his tie,

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," he offered us imperiously, "On battery charges,"

Again Dean moved, but this time _I_ was the one that beat him to it, catching him by the shoulder and stepping in front,

"Well you'll be hearing from mine as well and I don't just mean the company legal team, I mean the _super lawyers_ that work for my relatives the McMahons. Maybe you've heard of them? In fact I was on the phone with Stephanie last night and she _guaranteed_ that she would let them loose on you if you ever so much as came near me again. So go ahead Andy, sue Dean for hitting you, because I will sue _you_ for sexual assault, not to mention domestic violence _and_ breaking and entering and I'm pretty sure you'll lose. So go home Andy and forget all about me because I _promise_ I'm going to try and forget about you."

For a moment there was a pause of pure astonishment – including from myself because, _holy wow_. Then Andy's brow darkened and he stepped in towards me, stopping when Dean hustled me back out of the way.

The battle lines were drawn and neither side was stepping down from them, but then finally Andy threw up his hands and spun on his heel with a frustrated sigh muttering,

" _Fine_. Whatever. Have a nice life Laurie. Don't cry to me when that meathead beats you up."

I snorted back in admonishment.

 _Whatever._

Dean however was a good deal more implicit, waiting until Andy was halfway down the hallway and then yelling sharply,

"Leave the key asshole. You ain't comin' back here. This obsession is _done_."

The ferocity with which Andy slammed the spare key down was hard enough to make the dresser shake, but it didn't really matter – what mattered that was he was out of there and as the door slammed shut behind him, I let out a nervous gulp.

"Thank god,"

Dean continued to stand statue-like beside me, his fists clenched so tightly that his arm muscles were seizing up. Realizing it, I reached out and cupped one carefully and at the touch of my fingers, he uncoiled like a snake,

"I really want to fuckin' kill that guy."

"I know," I whispered, "I'm glad you didn't though. Not sure I could cope if you went away to prison. They still do conjugal visits though, right?"

Looking down at me with a confused and pinched expression – as if he couldn't believe what I'd just said – Dean snorted roughly and then smiled lazily, wrapping his arms around me and bending down to kiss my head,

"You were fuckin' incredible baby – you went full Kramer versus Kramer on the guy."

"Never seen it," I hummed into his shirt front, just glad he was there and we were on our own again. I was shaking mildly – through cold and general nervousness – and it trembled right through him and made him draw my head up,

"Hey, you sure you're alright? He didn't – like – hurt you or touch you or whatever?"

I shook my head,

"No, nothing like that. He – he threw a glass though, it smashed over there somewhere."

I waved a hand and then shivered a second time and he tapped my backside lightly and then turned me towards the door,

"Forget about that, I'll clean it up. Now go get dressed Princess, before you freeze to death."

Before he let me go, he pulled me back towards him and pressed a passionate kiss down across my lips. I responded to him feverishly, drawing the warmth out of it like I could somehow absorb his body heat.

"Thank you," I whispered, once we had parted and he thumbed my cheek gently,

"I should be thankin' you,"

"What for?"

"Stickin' up for me."

"I meant every word of it."

His kissed my forehead,

"Yeah, I know."

Then he turned me bodily once more and pushed me out beyond him into the hall. I took the first step willingly and then froze a little as panic set in,

"Dean? What if Andy's still outside?"

He swept in from behind me and moved me on further with a firm but loving prod,

"It's fine, alright? I'll go out and scout around a lil' bit, make sure the fucker's good and gone."

I nodded back, reassured by his answer and at the same timing realizing I couldn't feel my toes. The warmth of the shower was beckoning me towards it, but I stopped momentarily and reached back to grab his hand,

"Um, I've been thinking about what the two of us could do tonight – ,"

"Make voodoo dolls of your asshole ex-boyfriend? Don't look like that – you know it's a good call."

I rolled my eyes,

"We're not doing that. I've – uh – kind of got somewhere _special_ I want to show you. That okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Dean replied simply, rubbing my knuckles softly with his thumb. Then he shunted me into the bathroom with one final order, "Now go get fuckin' warm."

* * *

 **Okay, so Dean didn't hurt the guy too bad but Andy will have to walk with a limp for a bit, besides which it was definitely Lauren's turn to kick ass this time just in the figurative sense and not the literal, although watch this space...**

 **Next chapter the infamous notebook reappears!**


	8. Make Out Point

**So, time for the notebook to make an appearance and for the two of them to pick up from where they left off the other night…**

 **Skovko, Yep, thought it was about time she put her foot down and did some roaring of her own (with Dean behind her of course, just in case!)**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, She certainly has her moments of toughness from time to time as you'll some in some of the later stories (one of them in particular).**

 **Minnie1015, Haha, well, I will always take declarations of love for my writing! Don't worry, got plenty more Dean ideas rolling around still!**

 **Psion53, Exactly, there Andy was thinking he could cause trouble and he actually brought them closer together. Nice try Andy, nice try!**

 **JerseyGal88, Aww, you're welcome. I like to think of Lauren and Dean as endgame, so yeah, all of that stuff on the horizon I would think, not sure I'll ever write that far ahead, but definitely see it!**

 **Raze Olympus, Sorry, no more Shield boys in this one, just Lauren and Dean, although Seth and Roman are in some of the other Lauren/Dean stories I've got coming up** _ **and**_ **play big parts too! Btw, tail end of this chapter probably not your thing!**

 **Labinnacslove, She can be fiery when she needs to, sometimes, very occasionally and especially if someone pushes her too far or threatens her Dean!**

 **Mandy, Haha, I like that line! In their case it's** _ **couples who kick butt and travel on the road together stay together**_ **although you could probably make a thousand variations for them!**

 **Moxley Gal1, No more Andy drama but there is some more general drama if that helps? In the very next chapter as well, so watch out for that!**

 **As ever then, on we go...**

* * *

 **Make Out Point**

"Princess, I gotta tell ya, this is pretty fuckin' kinky."

I rolled my eyes,

"What? No it's not. It's called a _surprise_ Dean. You have to be blindfolded otherwise you'll see and that's not the point. Hence my use of the word _surprise_."

Dean shook his head from side to side resolutely, the movement making the passenger seat squeak. We were climbing in our rental into the hills above my hometown but despite that – and the air of mystery I had created – we obviously weren't done with the whole _sexy_ debate.

"If you'd wanted to surprise me with where we're goin', I coulda just shut my eyes, y' know? Instead you get this sexy scarf outta the closet and tie it around my head. _That_ is called kink."

"Well," I shrugged, "You do call me _Dirty Girl_ , maybe I'm just trying to live up to the name."

Dean grinned wickedly and snaked his hand across the console, planting it with surprising accuracy between my legs,

"Dean," I squealed, "Not while I'm driving. Do you want us to end up in a fiery ball?"

"Kinda."

"Huh?"

"I don't know – sounds sexy. Think I might like it."

I swatted him off and rolled my eyes,

"Settle down mister, we're almost there. Then you'll get to see why I love this spot so much."

His hand crept across again,

"What? You mean _this_ spot?"

" _No_ – well – yes but that's not the point. Don't make me turn this car around."

We were winding our way towards a secluded local beauty spot which I hoped would take his breath away. It was one of the highest points in the area and also well-known by the district's horny teens. Unfortunately it wasn't a school night but it _was_ November so I had high hopes of being alone.

Ever since Andy had been ejected that morning, Dean had been especially sweet, making sure that I was content and comfortable and occasionally going off to scout around outside. At Lucy's insistence we had gone round for lunch but then spent the afternoon curled up close. Dean had found an old movie while channel surfing and had lazily watched it as I had dozed in his arms. In actual fact it had all been quite romantic, which meant that I was pumped for what the evening had in store.

Swinging round the corner I pulled off the road and bumped us into a clearing between the trees. Thankfully the area's over-sexed young adults were not quite rugged enough to have braved the cold and I exhaled a little _yes_ that made Dean turn sharply,

"What was that for?"

I bit back a grin.

With my polka dot scarf wrapped clean around his head he looked both adorable and _vulnerable_ as well and so to heighten the sensation and revel in the fact of it, I chose not to answer and simply shut the engine off.

 _Bingo._

In an instant Dean's head was swivelling round again, his drawn brows pulling the material in closer as he tried to work out what the hell was going on,

"Princess?"

When I still refused to answer he lifted his hand up as if to pull the blindfold off and I launched across the seats like a pole-vaulter to stop him, my fingers making him keep it in place,

"Not yet, wait, I'll come round and get you."

"Get me?" Dean grunted, "What's that supposed to mean?"

But before he could finish I was out of the rental and scuttling around to the passenger side door. When I got there I flung it wide open without warning and he almost tumbled out.

"Oops, sorry,"

" _Jesus Christ_ Lauren,"

"I said I'm sorry, now just get out – careful, that's it, put your foot down there. Now the other one, yep, doing great, watch out for that rock and – okay – you're good now."

The second his boots were back on the ground, I giggled like a child and snatched up his hand. Away from the shielding influence of the truck door, the wind began tearing fiercely through our hair, rattling our jackets and blowing the wind out of us until Dean physically coughed at its strength,

"The fuck is goin' on?"

" _This_ – ," I answered, reaching up towards him and rising to my tiptoes, "Is my favourite local spot. You took me to your favourite place in Vegas so – I don't know – I wanted you to see mine."

As I spoke I pushed the blindfold up off him and then jumped out into his line of sight. At the same I threw my arms wide open and grinned broadly at him, throwing in a _ta da._ For a second Dean stood just adjusting to the daylight but I could see the moment that comprehension took hold. The landscape before us was totally beautiful and he responded to the scenery with a short sharp inhale.

Below us the terrain fell away towards the lake, whose waters had been turned silver by the late evening sun. Around us and sweeping off into the distance, was a carpet of green trees – they were everywhere you looked – only breaking across the far side of the bank where it was possible to make out the little buildings of the town. With the night drawing in we stood in contented silence watching as the windows began to flicker with tiny lights. The incoming cloud cover swept in dark and flatly inky although the sun was still up just over the distant peaks, blazing as a dim but defiant ball of colour in one last daily fight for its life. Everything seemed still and utterly peaceful and – if it hadn't been for the buffeting westerly chill factor – it would almost have seemed like time had stood still. Chancing a glance sideways, I drank in Dean's expression and he let out a whistle,

"Where are we?"

"Make out point."

His head snapped round to meet mine sharply and he blinked in astonishment,

"You're kiddin' me, right? _Make out point_? _That's_ its name?"

"Well," I shrugged, "I mean not _officially_ – like – it's not on the _maps_ or anything like that but that's what everybody around calls here it. I mean, it's even what _Lucy_ says, which now I think about it is actually pretty worrying. Yeah, maybe we shouldn't think about that too much."

Dean shook his head,

"This place is _unreal_. I feel like I'm stuck in some fuckin' nineties movie with cheerleaders and jocks and all that sorta shit."

"Um," I blinked, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Dean paused,

"I don't know, not really sure. But I'll tell you it's real fuckin' different from where I grew up. Like _way_ different. Nicer. So I guess that makes it good."

Hearing Dean talk – however vaguely about his childhood – always made me tense up a bit. Mostly because he so rarely spoke about it and only then with people he could trust. Curling myself up close against his side, I wrapped my arms around his waist. He responded at once by hugging me into him and we stood in silence being pummelled by the wind.

"You didn't have cheerleaders or sports stars at your school?"

"Probably. Wasn't really there enough to notice, y' know?"

"So what were you doing instead?"

"Do you wanna know? What if the answer is makin' out in back alleys or hittin' up strip joints?" Dean grinned back down. He was trying to deflect the seriousness of the topic, which I let him do without saying a word. Some days he was happy to talk about his early years, other days he wasn't. I simply never pushed.

"Are there a lot of strip clubs in your _delightful_ home city that cater for children?"

He shrugged,

"You'd be surprised."

"I don't think we have any round here – strip clubs I mean. Although there _was_ a woman who ran a brothel for a while. It was right next door to the elementary school. Just a regular house. She kept it really neat. I think she was a clerk at the town hall for a while. Then she went into hospital and the place got shut down. The doctor lives there now. With his family. He's not a prostitute."

Throughout my story Dean's expression had been wavering, moving between amusement and flat-out disbelief. As I finished he shook his head at me and planted a kiss in the middle of my hair,

"You know suddenly this whole fuckin' thing makes sense,"

"What does?" I blinked, Dean snorted,

" _You_. The way you're so nutso but so god damn _cute_. You're _literally_ this whole fuckin' place in _human form_. They should probably just update the town sign with your face."

As he spoke, he lifted his hand up and caught my nose between his finger and his thumb. I giggled and attempted to bat him away again but he only growled and wrapped his arms around my waist.

" _Dean_ ," I squeaked as he lifted me off the ground and spun me in a circle, "Put me _down_."

"Make me Princess,"

"You asked for it," I warned him, before making a fist and punching him in the gut. Disappointingly however, nothing much happened except for the fact that Dean chuckled,

"What was that? Was that you tryin' to _hit_ me? _Seriously_? Oh Princess, shit, do you ever need some work. Come on Rocky, let's show you how it's done."

Putting me down again and holding me steady – my head was still spinning from him whirling me around – he took up my hand and pushed the fingers into a fist for me, moving it until it hung in the air before my chin,

"Uh, Dean? What are we doing?"

"I'm teachin' you to defend yourself. The way you find trouble you'll probably fuckin' need it. Shoulda taught you months ago."

"I don't get why you keep saying that you know," I frowned a little as the wind fluffed my hair. Well, _fluff_ was probably too mild a term since it actually seemed to be trying to remove my scalp, "I don't get into more trouble than anybody else does."

Dean raised his brows at me, clearly disbelieving,

"The motel guy, Bray Wyatt, the Rhodes boys, Stephanie, that fuckin' asshole ex-boyfriend of yours. Stop me when you get the point."

I rolled my eyes a little,

" _Alright_."

"Good. Now come on, loosen up your shoulders, I don't want you all jacked up or you'll hurt yourself. You need to be relaxed and open. Lauren, what are you doin'?"

"I'm loosening up."

What I was _actually_ doing was shimmying, dancing around him and missing only a tune. It was a shameless attempt to get him to laugh at me and it worked although he quickly fought it back down. Reaching across, he towed me back towards him and smirked in resignation,

"Okay _Flashdance_ , that's enough. This is serious shit, alright? I want you to know how to handle yourself, in case some fucker tries to grab you again and I'm not around to knock his ass out."

I stopped what I was doing and nodded reluctantly, although it was kind of sapping the mood out of our night,

" _Ugh_ , I give up. Okay, I'll take it seriously."

Dean nodded,

"Good, now give me a batting stance,"

"Um," I blinked, "Yeah, I've never played baseball."

"Are you _kiddin'_ me?" Dean spluttered, " _Fine_ , weakest foot in front. You want your strongest leg and fist back because those are where the power will come from. Bend your knees a little for me Princess – Lauren, you're tense again, what did I say? You need to stay loose until just before you hit the guy, _then_ you can tighten everythin' up. Pull your fingers in before you make contact, don't leave 'em open or you'll break your damn hand – ,"

My head spun a little at all the information and I frowned,

"Um, Dean? Should I be taking notes?"

He rolled his eyes like a long-suffering parent and then centred himself in front of me,

"Right, now throw a punch," I did as instructed and it landed on his breastbone, which I was super happy about but my drill-sergeant trainer was definitely not,

"What? I hit you."

Dean shook his head,

"You need to twist your hips when you're throwin', swing your shoulders into it and follow through to the end. You're gonna wanna push off from that back foot remember? You need more weight behind it. Go again,"

" _Dean_ – ," I whined, but he ignored me,

"Just _try_ it."

I rolled my eyes and did what he said – or tried to anyway – and in the process surprised myself. The second my fist moved I could feel the strength behind it and although it didn't move Dean, the impact made him cough. Or, well, mildly clear his throat afterwards but it was a definite step up and even he seemed impressed,

"Alright Princess," he grinned, "Come on, up top."

He put his hand out for me to high five but at the last minute grabbed me and reeled me in close. In less than a second I was wrapped in his arms again, my back to his chest and his lips against my neck,

"So I did good?" I beamed and he shrugged,

"You did _better_. Don't get ahead of yourself. I still think it would be easier to get you a fuckin' bodyguard or damn babysitter or a really big dog."

I put my hand up backwards and cupped his cheek, which was starkly cold from the force of the wind. The stubble felt icy pressed against my skin but I liked it and scrubbed at it because it was _him_.

"As much as I like the idea of a dog – but, like, a nice friendly, _loveable_ one – I don't need anyone else to look after me. You keep me safe, you always have."

"Even though your ex doesn't think you can trust me?"

"You've never hit me."

"Never fuckin' will. I mean it Lauren, I would never lay a hand on you," he turned me towards him, his hands on my hip bones and I was surprised to see emotion shining in his eyes. He wasn't about to cry – he wasn't really like that – but there was something meaningful raging inside, "I know I'm crazy and _fucked up_ and whatever but that's the one line I'd never ever cross. I watched too many assholes use their fists on my mom to wanna be that kinda guy."

I shivered a little at the pain as he said it and at the thought of the things he'd had to go through. No wonder he was all tough and antsy when _Little Dean_ had witnessed such horrible abuse. Instinctively I tiptoed up to meet him and ran my fingers through the ends of his hair. The wind had picked up again, but neither one of us could feel it. It was like we were the only people for millions of miles.

"You could never be that guy and that's why I love you."

I kissed him gently and his grip grew stronger, knocking heads with me as we parted,

"Love you back."

It was a beautiful and almost life-affirming moment and I could have stayed gazing into his blue eyes for years but naturally – and because mother nature seemed to hate me – at that exact moment, it started to rain. I mean, I _say_ rain but what I _mean_ is it deluged. I had never seen so much rain in my life. It was like the skies were actually angry and sending down an army of big, cold drops. The fall was so thick I could barely see in front of me and I squealed as the both of us became suddenly drenched. Dean grabbed my hand and towed me towards the rental, flinging open the back door and pushing us both in. I landed on the seat haphazardly, panting and laughing and trying to catch my breath. My hair clung to my forehead untidily and when Dean turned around it was the same story for him.

"What is fuckin' _up_ with this place?"

"Welcome to Wisconsin in winter," I giggled back, reaching up to brush the droplets from his hair and then shrieking as he shook them around the car like a dog, " _Dean_."

My boyfriend ignored me simply widening his smirk and clambering towards me across the backseat,

"So Princess, what with this bein' _make out point_ an' all, have you got anythin' else lined up for us to do here, or are we goin' home to pick up from last night?"

" _Actually_ ," I intoned, pushing him back teasingly, "There's _one_ other thing I wanted to do."

Leaning forward I groped beneath the driver's seat before pulling something loose and handing it across. He took it from me and then sat blinking, staring down at it and not saying a word. Well, not for the first minute anyway,

"Princess, is this – is this your dirty little book?"

"Uh huh," I nodded, "Well, one of them anyway. But I'd say that's the best one. Go on, have a look. They're color coded because – well, I was a teenager – but the titles pretty much explain each one. I mean, I'm probably kind of _rambling_ a bit now but if you pick something out you could get lucky and I _might_ agree to show you how it's done."

I was flushing kind of heavily because – frankly – it was embarrassing but at the same time it was Dean and so that made it okay. I meant what I'd said when I told him that I trusted him and showing him my notebook was all just part of that. It was also a thank you for having been so loving and for having protected me and generally kept me calm.

For a minute or two he simply flipped through it silently, his blue eyes almost bugging out of his head. A myriad of handwriting and love hearts and _stickers_ flashed from page to page and in the quiet I held my breath. Part of me was wondering which technique he might land on and the other part of me was waiting for a response. To be honest, he didn't look _excited_ like I'd banked on and that fear was realized as he thumped the book shut,

"No."

"No?" I blinked in confusion, "What does that mean? Did I say something wrong?"

He looked up at me,

"Hey, no. You didn't do anythin'. I just – ," he paused, "I don't want you like that. I want _you_ alright? I want _all_ of you. You're better than some _dick tips._ That's all I meant."

"He's ruined it for you hasn't he?" I surmised, meaning Andy and Dean shrugged mildly,

"Let's do somethin' else."

"Something like what – and don't say kinky."

I meant it as a joke but he turned towards me wickedly and suddenly began to paw around,

"Where's that sexy little blindfold gone to?"

"It's a scarf Dean."

He leant over and plucked it from my pocket, shaking his head at me,

"You could've fooled me."

"What are you going to do with it?" I asked in a small voice, my heart starting to pound and my hands growing moist. I already knew the answer – or I _thought_ I did – and the prospect was drawing a _downstairs_ response. Maybe I was a little bit kinky after all? Dean glanced up at me,

"What do you think?"

Reaching across he went to wrap it round me, but I stopped him suddenly and shook my head,

"You first."

The look on his face was almost magical. He looked like a child that had snuck down early on Christmas morning and been allowed to have at the presents before dawn. I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or alarmed by it, since his excitement meant that I now had to perform. Either way I leant forward and tied it around him and then kissed him once I'd finished tying the knot. He stopped me from pulling away by sucking and then gently tugging against my swelling bottom lip. He held me against him and whispered above the rain noise,

"I don't fuckin' deserve you."

I pushed him back,

"No you don't."

Shaking myself out of my still-dampened winter coat, I turned my attentions to hurriedly removing Dean's. He sat – unseeing – letting me work the zipper, but his hands snuck over and rested up against my jeans. Clearly, he was keen to get things moving, so I threw his jacket aside and tugged his shirt up as well. Getting it over his head in one movement _without_ ripping the scarf off proved to be hard and as I grunted and started to swear at it, Dean snorted roughly and did it himself.

"You should cuss more," he growled at me darkly, teasing me as my fingers fluttered around his flies.

"You should cuss _less_ ," I giggled, unbuttoning him and then starting to ease his pants down around his thighs. He shifted a little, to help me get them off him and I eagerly tossed them with the coat and shirt to one side. Before I moved closer I captured his lips again, the sudden unseen contact clearly taking him by surprise. It knocked his head back a little unexpectedly but then he growled devilishly right into my mouth. The sound vibrated right through my jawline and shivered down to the space between my legs. Unable to stop myself, I pressed a hand against his package and at his grunt of approval, I inched his boxers down. The storm outside was still raging fiercely and it actually sounded as though the rain wanted in. The car even rocked with the power of the storm front, but it was cosy and safe and _exciting_ inside.

Sliding onto my knees down into the footwell, I wrapped my hand around Dean's base, applying what Kelly and I had dubbed _the ice cream_ because, in essence it was the same as eating a vanilla cone. I started by licking and then moved on to sucking, alternating by swirling my tongue all around. Dean groaned a little and his body kind of _juddered_ as he pushed his knuckles down into the leather to brace himself,

"Holy fuck Princess – _Christ_."

The fact that Dean couldn't see what was happening, seemed to have heightened the sensation as well and it didn't take much time for him to start getting harder, which only sped up when I dragged my fingers across his thighs. He let out a grunt and his leg muscles jolted, but as I licked him again, he shook his head and pushed me back,

"Not gonna have any left – nearly there – ,"

His face was flushed and his damp hair was sticky with sweat and condensation and rain all mixed into one. It was cute and sexy and I rose up to kiss him, his hands moving round to steady me at once. On feeling what remained of my pretty soaked clothing, Dean instantly started to gently strip it off, working with surprising speed and dexterity considering he couldn't see what was going on. I helped him with the bottom half, giggling at his eagerness and the second I was naked, he growled and swept me up.

" _Dean_ – ,"

"Your turn,"

Swinging me round he dropped back against the leather and I gasped in alarm at how cold the seat was. Still blindfolded, Dean started to kiss me, feeling where my stomach was and then working his way up. Given that I was ticklish by nature – and his damp hair was dragging little lines across my chest – by the time he reached my mouth I was flat out giggling and he grinned but then silenced me by pressing down his lips. His hands came up to cup my breasts tenderly and almost instantly his thumbs began to circle around the tips, triggering the nerves and the instant waves of pleasure that always came with him giving me gentle but purposeful nipple-love.

As I let out a little sigh of contentment and pushed my back further into the seat, I shut my eyes and moaned momentarily, blinking up again and getting a shock. At some point Dean had taken the scarf off and was staring down at me with dulled but happy eyes. Leaning in forward he kissed me again deeply and then moved the scarf across my face,

"Um, Dean?" I stuttered out, feeling a little hesitant since the last time anyone had put something across my eyes, it had been Bray Wyatt and it had _not_ been out of love. Luckily however my boyfriend knew it and whispered huskily against my ear,

"Not gonna let anythin' bad happen Princess, I gotcha alright? You trust me?"

"Yes."

I would never ever answer any different and knowing that it was _Dean_ and I was _safe_ , I lifted my head as he tied the knot behind me and as everything went dark I felt a shiver inside. Having one of my senses cut off from me was scary but arousing.

 _This_ I was going to like.

Once he was sure I couldn't see anything, Dean moved down to begin kissing up my thighs. As he went he growled against my skin, muttering darkly but they were also pretty _sexy_ asides,

"Bet you've done this before up here haven't you?"

"No," I murmured breathlessly, "No, I – ,"

"Don't believe you Princess," Dean nipped me slightly and I flinched but bit down on my lip at the same time, "Bet you were up here every week. But did anyone ever love you like this?"

Moving up my inner thigh, he began to kiss and lick higher and higher, moving his attentions to the crease of my leg and getting tantalizing close to where I wanted him the most. With the blindfold on the sensations were electric and I couldn't just feel him, I could _sense_ him as well. Unable to hold myself back any longer, I bucked up against him and tried to pull his head down, but he merely reached up and pinned my arms beside me before kissing me fiercely,

"You want me don't you?"

"Yes."

As he settled himself over me, I wrapped my legs around him, feeling every fibre of the way his body moved. The sound of the storm overhead was almost deafening but it made it seem like we were in a cocoon, safe and warm away from the iciness and I liked the intimacy it helped to pile on. When Dean slid inside me, I physically gasped but didn't have time to mutter as his lips pressed back down. Moving his head he pushed his bottom lip into my mouth, forcing me to tug it and suck on it as well. As he started up a rhythm, the storm stepped up around us and it was almost like the two of them were working in tandem or else racing one another to get to the end. Just when I thought it couldn't get better, Dean's hand dropped down to rub me as well, sensing that he was right on the edge but wanting us to peak at exactly the same time.

It worked.

Finishing together was both powerful and amazing, like the two of us were joined or else ridiculously in tune. Above me Dean shuddered and then let out a groan before falling down on top of me and kissing me again. I lay beneath him panting and exhausted, lacking any energy to move and it was only when he began to unwrap the blindfold – sorry, winter scarf – that I realized I even had the thing still on. The semi-light came as something of a shock to me and I blinked into it before settling on Dean's eyes.

"Hey," I murmured, sounding wearied but also totally happy as well. He smiled back and stroked my cheek with his thumb, not once breaking eye contact,

"Hey yourself."

"That was incredible, I mean – just – _wow_."

Pulling out carefully, Dean dropped down beside me, shunting me close to the edge of the seats but then wrapping his arms around me before I could fall off.

"Glad you liked it."

"Does this make me kinky now?"

Dean chuckled fondly and pawed through my hair, brushing it aside so he could gently kiss my neck,

"Maybe a little but that was pretty fuckin' mild."

"Should I be worried that you sound like an expert?"

"I'm not, but compared to you I probably am,"

"Hey, who's got the self-compiled erotic notebook here?"

He kissed me again,

"Yeah, that's kinda my point."

Before I could ask him exactly what he meant by it – although it was fairly self-explanatory, I doubted porn stars kept notes – he had reached up and over onto the back shelf and pulled across the extra thick blanket. I had insisted on bringing it – insisted on _buying_ it – on the off-chance we broke down on the side of the road. Knowing what Wisconsin in November could be like I had also known there was a small chance of freezing to death and even though I'd never exactly been a girl scout, I had always naturally just thought like one. What I _hadn't_ envisioned was using it as a cover to snuggle down after having wild car-sex but the moment Dean draped it over our bodies, I let out a gratified and happy little _hum_ , pressing my body back into my boyfriend and pillowing my head against his arm.

 _Ahh, bliss._

The storm was still raging but now it was on our side, keeping other people from ruining our fun. Dean dropped his head down and snuggled against my nape, holding me close and letting out a sigh. In two days' time we would back on the road again and diving right back into the wrestling world but for the moment it was nice to just snuggle on the hillside with no one to answer to and nowhere to go. Thinking about it made me suddenly grateful and I nudged back gently with an elbow,

"Dean?"

"Hmm?" I could tell by his grumble he was almost asleep and it made me smile, "What?"

"I love you, you know."

His response was gruff and only barely audible but it made me giddy.

"Fuckin' love you as well."

* * *

 **Right, so a bit of fair warning now, the next chapter is the penultimate one for this little follow up story and then I've got a Christmas Lauren/Dean story too which I'll pretty much launch straight into to get it out before the day itself (it's super cute btw, one of my favorites).**


	9. Crazy Crazy Nights

**Second to last chapter and a bit more drama to come…**

 **Kayla English, Glad you enjoyed it and all I can say on the McMahon/Helmsley side of things is that there's a lot more drama with the family to come in later stories, so stay tuned…**

 **Mandy, Aww, don't worry, there's still another three finished stories to get through and I've got a fourth going round in my head as well so I don't necessarily see an end in sight yet!**

 **Skovko, I figure they always book an extra-large rental car to accommodate all of Dean's long, muscular limbs, even so, probably a bit of a squash, although worth it for him though!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, They are stupidly sweet together, I hold my hands up! Not sure at this point I could make them gritty if I tried (glad you like them just the way they are though).**

 **Minnie1015, I figured they deserved a bit of quality alone time in this one. Super excited about the Christmas story and it's just the two of them too, proper sickly sweet couple stuff!**

 **MorticiaA, Thank you so much for the wonderful compliment and I'm glad you like Lauren and Dean together and all their crazy, cutesy adventures. Plenty more of them to come too!**

 **Raze Olympus, Glad you liked the chapter and part of it might just pay off in this next installment, as I will leave you to find out…**

 **Psion53, Well, I can't be mean to them all of the time, figure they need a cutesy break every once in a while...not so much in this chapter though!**

 **Labinnacslove, Glad you liked it, them being sweet together is just about my favorite thing to write (alongside overprotective Dean of course!)**

 **Who could possibly be causing them trouble now?**

* * *

 **Crazy Crazy Nights**

To celebrate – or commiserate – my final night back home, Kelly and Brent took us out to dinner, which was fairly monumental for more reason than one. For starters it was the first time that Kelly had left Roger in the few weeks since the little guy had been born and to another point it marked the first time in our relationship that Dean and I had been on a double date.

In fact it was a first for me in _general_ , since Andy hadn't been a _double date_ kind of guy. Looking back he hadn't really been much of _anything_.

I could barely believe I'd given him ten years of my life.

Given the fact that she was leaving her son behind, Kelly wasn't quite her usual bubbly self and although she tried to be loud, brash and _Kelly-like_ , I could tell she was struggling with being away from home. She was _also_ struggling with being off alcohol and the whole thing was a minefield she wasn't sure how to tread.

She had already been crying when we'd met them in the parking lot and not just sniffling either, but full on clucking _sobs_.

Naturally I had swept in to soothe her – rocking her in my arms like _I_ was the mom – while Dean had stood blinking in surprise somewhere behind me before glancing at Brent who'd offered up a shrug,

"Hormones dude, new mother _stuff_."

Dean had raised his brows like he'd got it but I doubted he did.

I doubted any of us could.

Fortunately however by the time we hit the restaurant, Kelly had tailed off to a series of shaky huffs, hauling her fragile emotions back together and clearing her throat,

"Okay, I'm good."

She'd had another wobble when the waiter put down breadsticks – because apparently she'd been addicted to them throughout the pregnancy – but this time I was there with the sort of mindless chatter that I was basically famous for,

"Andy came by."

She blinked, her tears evaporating in the candlelight as she replaced them with astonishment and gasped at me,

"He _what_? You mean, came by as in came by _the house_?"

From across the table, Dean snapped a breadstick angrily and the crack of it rang out loud and clear. Although it was probably as good as an answer, I nodded anyway and took a sip of wine,

"Uh huh."

"Jeepers," Brent blew out a breath across the table, always so well-spoken compared to his wife.

"Jesus fucking _Christ_."

Well, at least she was distracted, so in that respect my _cheer up_ plan was actually doing the trick. On the downside however it meant having to relive the horrible and pretty damn frightening events. At some point the whole trip had become about Andy and I wasn't really sure how I felt about that.

Shaking his head in mild disbelieve at me, Brent frowned a little,

"When was this, today?"

"No," I shrugged, "Yesterday morning, when Dean went out for his run."

" _You weren't there_?"

At Kelly's half-bark, half-shriek of accusation, Dean's expression clouded again. The fact he had been absent – again – when I'd needed him had been messing with him since the thing had gone down and although I didn't blame my best friend for reacting, I didn't want her upsetting him any more than Andy had.

"It wasn't his fault Kel,"

"Well of course not," she snorted, "Andy's a crafty bastard, he was probably out there waiting until he knew you'd gone. Wait a minute, did you _let him in_?"

As the accusation spun in my direction I rolled my eyes at her,

" _No_."

"He broke in."

It was the first thing Dean had said since we'd sat down aside from ordering himself a beer and it was both so blunt and totally unexpected that it instantly shut Kelly's frantic questioning up.

Well, for all of about five seconds.

"He broke _in_?"

"Um, not _exactly_ – ," I offered uncertainly, watching blue eyes sharpen underneath slicked back hair, "I mean, _Dean_ says he did, but it's not like he smashed a window. He just – sort of _kinda_ – helped himself to the extra key."

"Which he used to bust into the home of the ex-girlfriend he fuckin' _assaulted_ the night before,"

"I agree with Dean," Kelly chirped back instantly and even Brent nodded,

"Certainly sounds like it to me. I mean, why not just ring on the door instead of sneak in? He must have known you wouldn't want him there. So to take the key and march in anyway – well – it might not be _breaking in_ as such but he knew it was wrong."

Dean nodded,

"Damn straight."

The fact that they were all staring at me hard made me swallow somewhat sullenly and chomp down on my bread. Was I the only one who genuinely thought that Andy still had some sort of right to walk in? I mean, for almost ten years it had practically been _his_ house. Did that change because we were no longer together? The more I thought about it the more I decided _yes_. Andy had no right – none whatsoever – to have been in there but did that make it breaking in?

I still wasn't sure.

Fortunately however, Kelly broke my musings by poking me with her fork,

"So? What happened then?"

"Did you just stab me with _cutlery_?"

"You were stalling. We're on tenterhooks here, don't keep us in suspense. Besides, I'm pretty hormonal, remember? Wouldn't be right to get me all worked up."

"Wouldn't be wise either," Brent blew out cheerily, although his face was a warning all in itself. Kelly leant over and swatted him across the belly, the contact making a sharp little slap,

"Quiet you."

He gestured,

"See what I'm dealing with?"

"I said _quiet_ – Lauren, go on."

With Kelly's eyes burning a pinprick hole through me, I sucked in a breath and tried to recall where I'd left off. As it turned out, I'd barely even started and not wanting to have to spend all night on damn _Andy_ , I tried to abridge the narrative into notes,

"Um, well, he tried to apologize – ,"

"For kissing you?"

It was going to be harder than I thought. Clearly Kelly wanted every tiny detail and as Dean's eyes flashed angrily, I swallowed,

"Uh huh."

"Too little too late,"

"Babe? Let her finish."

Kelly snorted roughly,

" _Fine_. Carry on."

"I didn't want to accept his apology, which made him mad – he threw a glass at the wall – then he said I was playing games with him and then – ," I sighed a little, reliving the sensation of seeing my boyfriend come jogging up the drive, "Dean came back and made him leave again."

Kelly wilted slightly,

"No one decked the little shit?"

"Um, Dean kinda _kneed_ him in the stomach at one point."

"Groin _and_ stomach," Dean grunted roughly, earning my best friend's approval.

"Fucking _good_."

In many ways the two of them were scarily similar on the anger and _thirst-for-vengeance_ scales. It made me briefly wonder if I had some sort of type. Maybe I liked people who came with aggression issues? Maybe the wrestling world always _had_ been in my blood?

"He threatened to sue," I offered out absently, half-heartedly trying to temper Kelly's wicked grin.

"Sue who?"

"Dean."

"Sue him for what? Defending his girlfriend?"

Dean grunted,

"Pretty much."

" _Son of a bitch_ ," Kelly barked angrily, thumping down a perfectly manicured set of fingers and making the table wobble side to side. An elderly couple seated across from us, looked up in surprise at the hissed outburst, clearly not expecting someone so glamorous to be swearing like a docker.

Little did they know.

"Sweetie," Brent intoned sort of _carefully_ , tapping her hand like he was petting an angry dog. Actually that was _exactly_ what she was like at times – a poofy little lapdog with a diamante collar and the attitude of a Great Dane with rock hard balls to match.

"What?" she snapped, "I'm busy being angry."

"Think of the baby."

She frowned,

"I'm not pregnant."

"Well then think of him anyway."

Kelly huffed in annoyance at her husband but then clearly went ahead and did what he'd said. The transformation was pretty incredible as her shoulders dropped down and the fire left her eyes, not completely but enough for them to soften and allow the sparkle to creep back in.

Glancing across the table, Brent threw a wink at me and I mouthed at him, impressed.

 _You're a magician._

Throughout it all Dean had been busy munching breadsticks, almost as if having missed the whole thing but as Kelly took a breath, he brushed the crumbs off his napkin and looked up evenly,

"'Sides, Lauren scared him off."

For a second everyone sort of just blinked at me, Kelly even coughed a little,

" _You_ scared him off?"

"Threatened to unleash the McMahon family lawyers – whole thing was kinda _sexy_ ,"

I snorted at him,

"Was _not_."

"Trust me Princess," he smirked in my direction, teasingly waving a breadstick in my face, "You ain't the shrinkin' violet you got people believin' – you're actually a _badass_."

I grinned,

"You really think?"

"I fuckin' _know_."

It was rapidly turning into one of the conversations where the pair of us forgot we weren't the only ones in the room and so the sound of an awkward little cough of distraction startled me but wasn't a total surprise.

What _was_ a surprise however was who had done it.

Not Kelly, not Brent.

It was someone else.

Someone who had come to stand beside the table and hover self-consciously in between the seats. Someone that I hadn't seen in almost a decade but had then managed to bump into twice in two days. Squinting up over the candlelight I blinked at him,

" _Elliott_?"

He waggled his fingers back,

"Hi all."

Beside him the diminutive Rosamie bobbed cheerily in her silently performed variation on _hello_. They were cute together – I mean, sort of _unlikely_ – but they were both nice people and they seemed a good match. Not even the fact that she didn't speak the language seemed to have dampened the love that they had and I found myself wondering if Dean and I would have been compatible if we hadn't been able to communicate from the start.

I decided the answer was a big fat _yes_ anyway – Dean and I were simply meant to be – then blinked back to the present just in time to hear Kelly beckoning the waiter to pull up some extra chairs.

"Our friends here are going to join us," she offered starkly, "Can we get two more seats?"

Elliott flushed,

"Oh – uh – well, I mean, only if you _want_ us to interrupt your dinner. I wouldn't want you to think we were after an invite – ,"

Surprisingly it was Dean that beat him to the punch, startling us all by shrugging his shoulders and shuffling over to create some more room,

"Nah, sit down man. 'Sides, figure I owe you for savin' Lauren from gettin' knocked around."

Elliott held his hands up,

"Please, that was nothing, _anyone_ would have done the same had they been in my shoes."

The fact that he was being so magnanimous about it was totally his style and actually pretty cute. Elliott had always – _always_ – been an old man trapped in the body of a semi-scrawny boy. He wouldn't have looked out of place on a porch seat, in a red knitted sweater with a pipe and a flat cap. The old fashioned chivalry complemented that perfectly and in response to it, I smiled and gently shook my head,

"But it _wasn't_ anyone, it was you. So what do you say? Have dinner with us? Come on, it'll be like old times, it'll be fun."

There was a beat as the smaller man considered his options, glancing between both myself and Rosamie. For her part his girlfriend looked wide-eyed but receptive, although when it came to what was happening she was clearly at sea.

Spinning back towards us with a nod of affirmation, Elliott made his choice decisively,

"Alright."

In the end, it turned out to have been a good option because – I was right – it _was_ good fun. Steadily over the course of the next hour, Elliott, Kelly and I started reciting and rehashing some of our old favourite stories from school. Most of them involved Kelly getting _friendly_ somewhere and invariably ending up getting herself caught, while the others were very much _you had to be there_ type deals, but to be fair to Dean and Brent, they both listened and smiled along.

I didn't even realize how wide I'd started grinning until I felt Dean's hand grasp mine against my lap. When I looked across he was just smiling at me and as I tilted my head somewhat questioningly at him, he leaned in and brushed his lips across my ear.

"You look happy,"

"I am," I whispered, placing my hand instinctively across his heart, "Thank you for coming."

"Sure, why wouldn't I?"

"Not here as in the _restaurant_ , I meant to Wisconsin – thank you for bringing me home."

His thumb scuffed over my knuckles sweetly as he kept his voice low to avoid being heard. Around the table the others were still talking, so we were briefly cut off from them,

"Anytime Princess, anytime."

I grinned.

Then suddenly Kelly slapped her hands against the table and broke in through the chatter,

"Okay, that's it. Mama's gotta go check in on her baby, I can't take it any more, excuse me folks. I'm just going to call my babysitter for a second,"

Brent frowned slightly,

"You mean your mom?"

"That's what I said," she shrugged, "My babysitter."

Her husband held his hands up,

"Fair enough."

In Kelly's abrupt absence – and sensing a lull in conversation – I decided to excuse myself as well, feeling the glass of red wine filter through me and not wanting to have to get up during dessert, because – _hello_ – cheesecake and all.

"Be right back," I whispered discreetly, reluctantly unwinding my fingers from Dean's hand. He reached out and slapped my ass as I stepped away from him, which made me emit a tiny little squeal. The old couple still seated quietly at the table next to us, blinked in annoyance, although they didn't say a word.

Judging from his expression, it was what Dean had been hoping for and in response he stuck his tongue out, grinning with pride.

" _Child_ ," I murmured, fighting down my own smile as I turned and weaved a hasty path towards the bathroom door.

It lead off down a flock-papered corridor which branched off at the end into two different rooms. Rather than just have the words written however – _men_ and _ladies_ , that sort of thing – the restaurant had opted for something more trendy and had instead marked the doors in gender symbol form.

 _Crap._

It was a rare thing that I wished I had paid more attention in biology class, but suddenly I did. Wait, was the arrow symbol the male one? In response to my question, the door swung open and out walked – yep, I was right – a man. He stopped in surprise on seeing me right in front of him and his eyes flickered silently towards the other door,

"Right," I chuckled, both nervous and awkward, " _That's_ the ladies, I – uh – I _thought_ so."

From his expression it was clear that he thought I was some pervert who saw the men's bathroom as a place for cheap thrills. It meant that as I crossed back over the corridor I did so with exaggerated moves, pointing between myself and the symbol while trying to explain why I had almost burst in,

"I never _could_ remember which one of these things was which. I mean, science class was a _long_ time ago, am I right? So – um – so I'm just going to go ahead and use the ladies now, which was _definitely_ my intention all along."

The unimpressed man slid by me in the corridor, flashing me a withering look,

"Yeah, _sure_ you were."

By the time I made it safely inside the bathroom – circle and a cross, I made a mental note – I was red with embarrassment and shaking my head ruefully. Was there anyone in the _world_ as awkward as I was? I was lucky that Dean generally found it a pretty cute thing, especially since Andy had been decidedly less enthralled.

 _Can't you go anywhere without acting like an idiot?_

That had been one of his hurtful little outbursts, which – now I thought about it – were actually _not_ so rare. It amazed me that I had stayed in the relationship for ten whole years.

It was like I'd been blind.

Meeting Dean – and in particular being _with_ him – had allowed me to see again and it was like stepping out from the dark. The thought made me grin as I ran my hands beneath the water and when I looked into the mirror, I was grinning from ear to ear. The spot where he had slapped my ass still felt warm and tingly and I revelled in the sensation that being touched by him produced. It genuinely felt like each day was Christmas and I was being given presents that I didn't deserve. Big old, gift-wrapped, bow-topped presents that kept getting better.

I was a lucky, _lucky_ girl.

With that thought in mind I stepped from the bathroom and then gasped as a hand wound tightly round my arm,

" _Dean,_ what are you – ,"

I stopped myself mid-sentence as I realized that _firstly_ the hand didn't belong to my boyfriend and that _secondly_ it wasn't just grabbing me either as much as it was swinging me around, sending me almost completely off kilter until I stumbled and fell against the garish flock wall.

 _Ow._

Before I could blink there was an arm on either side of me, keeping me in place within a sudden man-made cage. Someone was panting above me, tense and desperate and I frowned up into the face,

" _Elliott_?"

"Thank god," he exhaled, "I've been waiting all evening,"

I blinked at him,

"Um, waiting for what?"

"For this," he responded, smiling shyly at me and then starting to lean in with his lips pushed out. Instantly I put my hands on his breast bone, attempting to push him back a bit.

Hold on.

Was he trying to _kiss_ me? Is _that_ what was happening?

Oh sweet holy crap – it _was_.

Elliott Thurgood was leaning in to kiss me and in a sudden flash of anger, I decided I'd had enough. In the past few months I'd been pawed at and grabbed at by more men than I had thought it would be possible to find. The guy at the motel – _Jeff_ I thought his name was – Bray Wyatt, the Rhodes boys, Andy and now _this_? What was it with men thinking they could just touch and kiss me? Well whatever it was, it was over and done and so as Elliott's lips suckered sloppily towards me, I quickly took up Dean's insisted-upon batting stance, reining my fist back and then letting it fly loose again directly into the cheekbone beneath Elliott's eye.

 _Bam._

It wasn't exactly a _powerful_ hit – partly because I was crammed against the wallpaper and partly because I'd never thrown a real punch in my life – but it made him reel back with a hiss of astonishment and an actual _whimper_ as he clutched at his eye,

"You – you _hit_ me," he sounded surprised which in turn made me angry,

"What did you expect? You tried to _kiss_ me."

"But – ," Elliott sounded baffled like he thought I had genuinely _wanted_ to make out, "But my feelings – ,"

"Your _feelings_? What feelings? I didn't ask for this."

He paused momentarily to tap at his cheekbone, which was starting to swell.

I was proud of myself.

"Oh come on Lauren, you must know how I feel by now? I mean, I followed you for years around High School like a puppy dog. I sat back and watched you and Andy for _ten years_. Any excuse I could think of to get close to you, I took with both hands. How could you _not_ know?"

His admission – much like the attempted kiss before it – came almost totally out of the blue and I gaped in confusion and no small amount of horror at what he was saying,

"Wait you – you liked _me_?"

"Well naturally," he faltered, "Why? Who did you think I liked?"

"Kelly of course."

"Kelly?" he hissed in distaste actually _shuddering_ at the thought of being with her which in turn made me frown, "You seriously thought that I liked _Kelly_? She called me E.T, she made fun of my glasses. Why in the world would I have ever liked her?"

"Because – um – well, because everyone else did, so I just assumed – ,"

He stepped forward,

"I liked you. I still do Lauren, always have done. I'm crazy about you. That's never changed."

Tentatively he reached a hand out towards me and I put up my fist to make him stay where he was. Suddenly I got a sense of what Dean must have felt like whenever he swaggered his way into the ring, which brought me swiftly to another salient problem in Elliott's ill thought out plans to sweep me off my feet,

"Look, I mean, we're friends, okay Elliott? But only that and nothing more. I'm in love with Dean, I'm _happy_ and you've got Rosamie so – ,"

I broke off as he snorted disparagingly,

"Oh _yeah_. The internet bride who doesn't speak the language. Aren't I lucky?"

"Hey," I frowned, pointing my finger like a mother attempting to scold a rude child, "She's sweet and she's mad about you, so you be nice, you hear me?"

"She's not you Lauren," he sighed, moving in again and attempting to once more trap me in between his arms. Once again I raised my fist dangerously and he held up both hands and promptly skittered back. My heart was pounding but I didn't want to show it and so focused all my energy into trying to seem fierce. Clearly it worked, because Elliott's eyes widened and he took on a rabbit-in-the-headlights sort of look.

In some ways I actually felt borderline sorry for him. He was right, he'd had a rough time back in school. But at the same time that did _not_ allow him to march up and kiss me, not without permission and _not_ when I loved Dean.

"Elliott, listen – ," I started with conviction, before realizing I didn't know what the hell to say. Luckily however at that exact moment the door at the far end of the corridor opened and two women stepped towards the bathrooms chattering, doing the ultra clichéd _visiting the ladies in pairs_ thing.

As they went to squeeze past us, Elliott stepped back and with the proximity lessened, I swiftly took off, stalking up the corridor and ignoring his yelling as he trotted along behind me and tried to keep up,

"Lauren? _Lauren_ – ,"

I didn't say anything and yanked my hand away when he reached out and took hold. I turned and offered him a murderous expression which I had learnt from Stephanie in the few weeks before and it was so shot-through with malice and irritation that he inhaled almost sharply and quickly stepped off, letting me stomp back out into the restaurant and then clear across the carpeted floor.

I arrived back at our table with a face like thunder, which the others didn't notice but Dean spotted at once. He narrowed his brows and searched my face knowingly, before letting his gaze drift over to E.T. He spotted the blooming cheek bruising instantly and let his look swing between each one of us in turn.

"There you are," Kelly breathed cluelessly, looking brighter again, "Mom says Roger's doing fine."

"Good," I nodded, forcing a smile out but not sure how effective the whole thing looked, "Of course he is, your mom is amazing. I never doubted her."

"Oh don't you start."

As I sat beside Dean he quickly reached his hand out, catching mine and making me turn back his way. I could tell that he was hunting for signs I was injured – which I wasn't just obviously a bit shaken up – so I squeezed his fingers and offered a grimace, equal parts _I'm fine_ and _best not to ask_. Across the table, Rosamie was smiling, peering up at Elliott with a look of pure awe.

 _Ugh._

Elliott was an absolute asshole.

How in the world could he not love her? She was as cute as a button and besotted with him as well. Briefly I debated trying to find some way to tell her but was beaten to the punch – not literally this time – by the sound of Elliott clearing his throat noisily which drew everyone's attention to the fact he'd not sat down,

"Um, I think – I think we need to get going."

"What _now_?" Kelly blinked, "But we haven't had dessert. If I can't have alcohol, I'm damn well having sugar. Why don't you stay? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no," Elliott answered, a little too hastily and glancing across at me which Dean didn't miss, "Nothing's wrong I'm – I'm just feeling woozy, I'm sorry to abandon you but I need to lie down."

"Oh, well, that's a shame,"

At Kelly's genuine sigh of disappointment, Elliott glanced back at her with a strange look on his face. Is that how he had always looked at Kelly? How had I missed it? It seemed obvious now. Not only had he never loved Kelly, he had never even _liked_ her.

I couldn't believe I never knew.

"What's that under your eye?" Dean cut in and both Elliott and I collectively held our breath.

 _Oh god._

No way did I want to tell my angry boyfriend the truth in public and have him kick the guy senseless before a roomful of paying guests, but neither was the awkward silence helping and so as Elliott stared blankly like he no longer spoke the language, I stepped in with a lie instead,

"You walked into the door outside the bathrooms, right?"

He blinked at me and I glared at him pointedly.

"Right, yes. I – I walked into the door outside the bathrooms, banged my face, it – it hurt."

"You sure you're okay to drive home buddy?" Brent asked, frowning, ever a caring sort of guy. In response, Elliott sort of looked around cluelessly and so again I intercepted,

"Yeah, he'll be fine."

Across the table – and sensing that something was happening – Rosamie suddenly spotted the bruised eye and made a little squeak of outraged worry before standing up and beginning to try and soothe the pain away. Elliott's face flickered briefly in frustration then slid across to me so I leant into Dean, feeling my boyfriend put a broad arm around me and draw me in to pillow my head against his cheek. It was a telling and synchronized movement between us and it certainly succeeded in giving Elliott the hint because the next thing I knew he had grasped his girlfriend's coat up and was flapping it at her with purpose,

"I'll be fine."

Fortunately both Kelly and Brent remained clueless to the turn in the atmosphere and simply looked sad, telling him to stay in touch and to come visit them, to which Elliott merely nodded unconvincingly,

" _Mmm_ , of course."

 _Liar._

By the time it came to making his goodbyes Elliott clearly just wanted to be gone, besides which Dean was glaring across the space at him a little like a lion stalking its helpless prey. Under the circumstances it was probably best that all he did was sort of _grunt_ a farewell before hustling Rosamie off and away from us, with the poor girl waving like a sweetheart the whole way. Maybe it was better she didn't speak the language, or – apparently – pick up on awkwardness too well. Then again evidently neither did Kelly, who watched our dinner guest head through the doorway before turning back and frowning,

"He always _was_ kinda weird."

Dean gripped my hand a little tighter as I _hummed_ at her but I kept staring forward, not wanting to catch his eye. Fortunately I was spared by the arrival of the dessert menu and both Kelly and I launched towards it like we'd been starved. It didn't disguise the murmur of Dean's voice however, gruff and low alongside my ear,

"You're tellin' me later Princess, I wanna know what happened."

 _Damn it._

He was going to go mad.

* * *

 **So, did anyone see that coming with Elliott? Still, at least Dean's how-to-punch lesson came in handy.**

 **The next chapter is the last for this home visit story so I'll see you there in another three days!**


	10. Wonderful Tonight

**Okay then, so final chapter for this little story but the next one is going to be up next Wednesday and will be called** _ **Look After You**_ **. It's a festive one (sort of) so bring your Christmas hats and baubles and I'll see you there!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, It was pretty surprising to Lauren as well. Poor old Elliott had them all unintentionally fooled on that front but at least he wasn't as forceful as Andy and got the punch he probably deserved! Once again thank you for reviewing so faithfully. See you at the next one!**

 **Skovko, Do love a big of old school pseudo-cussing! I remember having a sleepover for my 13th birthday and watching that film. My mum came in just as the hand shot out of the sack and we screamed so loudly she joined in although she didn't even know what she was screaming about! (Good times) Anyway, thanks again for your fabulous reviews...until next time then!**

 **Minnie1015, It might be ending but we're launching straight into the next one so not much of a wrench I hope! Dean does a bit more pep-talking in this one too. I love it when he's thoughtful! Thank you again for always reviewing and I'll see you for the next crazy installment in this ride!**

 **Labinnacslove, Well, Lauren isn't very good at hiding her emotions (possibly a bit like me) but even if she was Dean would see right through her, the look of love and all that stuff! As ever, thank you for reviewing my lovely, means a lot and I'll see you next time.**

 **Mandy, I feel like they're real too now (well, a couple of them are but you know what I mean). Sometimes I forgot and think they're an actual couple that I'm meant to be sending a Christmas card to (I won't though, because that's weird, plus where would I send it?!) See you at the next one? With my lovely reviews hopefully because you always manage to make me smile.**

 **Psion53, Oh he definitely wants to know what happened, his protective boyfriend senses are on very high alert! As for Elliott, I think he probably was following her although not as violently as Andy was! Once again thank you for all your reviews and I hope to see you at the next fic.**

 **Last time for this one then...**

* * *

 **Wonderful Tonight**

Extracting ourselves from the restaurant after dinner was one of those things that was easier said than done. Partly because I was so full of cheesecake that I could barely even _waddle_ back to our car, but mostly because Kelly's bone-crushing goodbye hug simply didn't seem to want to end.

She'd been crying as well, which hadn't helped matters and although a lot of that had been hormonal emotion, the fact that I would be leaving come the morning had certainly conspired to make it far worse. She had actually even made _me_ tear up a little and in the end poor Dean and Brent had been forced to stand in silence while their women snivelled into one another's arms, smudging their mascara like they were parting ways forever and professing their undying sisterly love.

It meant that when we _finally_ pulled out of the car park – with me waving frantically at both Kelly and Brent – I had almost forgotten about my run in with Elliott, which was why Dean's opening growl of a question caught me in measures of genuine surprise,

"So, you gonna tell me?"

"Huh? Tell you what?"

Clearly it wasn't the answer he wanted because his face screwed up in almost instant annoyance and his fingers tightened slightly around the wheel of the truck,

"Don't play dumb Lauren, I know somethin' happened. So just tell me before I have a fuckin' coronary, alright? Why did that Elliott guy come back from the bathroom with a busted eye _then_ cut and run? Why did _you_ come back lookin' all pissed at him? I'm not an idiot. Somethin' went down."

 _Oh, right._

I blinked at him,

"Uh – ,"

"Do I have to beat _his_ ass as well now?"

"No," I shrugged, not sure where to start with it but knowing I had to, "I sort of already did."

Dean stared out through the windshield in silence, but I could see his eyes flickering a little from side to side, clearly trying to process my statement into something that made sense,

"Wait, _you_ hit him?"

"Uh huh,"

His expression darkened in less than a second, turning from a frown into an all-out deathly glare,

" _Why_? Princess? What the fuck did he do to you?"

"He – um – well, he sort of – ,"

"Did he touch you?"

"No," I shook my head, "Well, not like Andy did anyway."

"Lauren – ,"

"I mean it, he didn't lay a hand on me. He just – you know – kinda trapped me in the corner and tried to kiss me a teeny tiny bit."

Predictably the sentence turned Dean apoplectic and the truck even swayed a little in response.

" _What_? _Jesus Christ_. That sneaky little _asshole_. What _is_ it with the fuckin' guys up in these parts? They put some shit in the water around here? Or is forcin' themselves on women somethin' they teach 'em in class?"

"I – I don't know," I offered back quietly, dropping my gaze to the hands in my lap. My head was sort of _spinning_ from everything that had happened and from desperately trying to recollect my formative years. I found myself replaying every single memory, every single _moment_ with Elliott in. Every time he'd looked at Kelly with adoration which had actually been hatred.

As it turned out.

Letting out a sigh at my _barely there_ answer, Dean reached a hand out and gently squeezed my chin,

"Hey, you alright?"

"Uh huh," I nodded, "I am, I promise."

It didn't particularly pacify him,

" _Fuck_. I thought you told me the guy liked Kelly?"

"Well, I mean, I thought he _did_. Everybody did. Besides, what with Kelly being so _Kelly_ and the most popular girl in school and stuff, it certainly made sense that he was always hanging out with us, always kind of _there_ just sort of in the background. I never even realized that he – I mean – I don't believe it,"

"That he liked you instead?" Dean frowned,

" _Mmhmm_."

"You think that's weird?"

"It isn't to you?"

He shook his head back at me, the movement definitive and still borderline angry,

"Princess, you listen to me, you are fuckin' gorgeous, alright? I don't blame any of these guys for one second for bein' so hung up on you. I'm just pissed that they keep tryin'a push it, thinkin' they can put their damn hands on you and do whatever the fuck they want."

I stared down at my hands again, my voice sounding small,

"I'm not gorgeous Dean."

"Yeah? Well the evidence says different," he responded before counting out the names on his hand, "Bray Wyatt, fuckin' _Andy_ and now this Elliot guy. I mean, don't get me wrong here, Kelly's pretty and I like her, but you've just got – I don't know – you're too fuckin' _good_. That's hella attractive to a red-blooded guy, alright? Makes us all primal and _protective_ an' all that shit. Can't fuckin' help it. It's that _girl-next-door_ thing."

The hand which had been cupping my chin to get me to look at him had slid down to rest sweetly over my knee and the warmth of his hand burnt in through my pantyhose and took away the bitter winter chill,

"He said he'd been in love with me all the way through High School,"

"Then I guess I can't really blame him for tryin' his luck. I mean, I _can_ blame him – I'll knock his fuckin' teeth down his throat – but if _I'd_ been pinin' after you since I was fourteen, then I'd probably be half fuckin' crazed with it as well."

"What?"

"Princess," he levelled, skirting his thumb across my kneecap in a gesture of comfort, "We spent nearly a whole _month_ together before anythin' happened between us, alright? Couple 'a weeks and I was almost _insane_ with it. That poor fucker's been waitin' twelve _years_."

"But – but he's got Rosamie."

Dean snorted,

"Yeah, right. I'm sure she's a _perfect_ substitute for you."

"She seemed nice enough," I shrugged, feeling defensive for her. Unknowingly it was definitely _not_ Rosamie's night. Wherever she and Elliott were at that moment, I hoped that she was somehow making him see the light, helping him to realize he should take her love and run with it. Frankly, he was an idiot if he did anything else. Dean shook his head at me, not following my thought patterns and still working on our earlier thread,

"No one's like you Princess, _trust me_ on that. You're one of a kind and _that's_ the fuckin' truth."

The sentence flowed through me like a warm blast to the system and in response I dropped my hands across his,

"Thanks."

He shrugged in a sort of uber-masculine _no big deal_ way but I could tell he had meant every word, which was sweet. Clearly considering we'd done enough _sappiness_ however, Dean coughed a little and brought us back onto firmer ground,

"Looked like you got the fucker pretty good though."

"You know what? I _really_ did. I did everything you taught me, with the baseball pose and the loose hands and then I just sort of – you know – _whack_."

Dean grinned and shook his head at me,

"That's my girl. M' fuckin' proud of you."

"Does this mean I get to have a cool boxer nickname now?"

Dean's face screwed up like he was thinking about it and I briefly debated all the things he might suggest. Like _Crusher_ or _Knuckles_ or even _Fists McGraw_ which was why his actual suggestion was a letdown to say the very least,

"The Kitten?"

I blinked,

"Come _on_ , I'm scarier than _that_ , right?"

Dean shook his head at me,

"Nope, you're still adorable."

" _Hey_ , I just punched a guy in the _face_."

"Yeah but kind of a stretch to call him a _guy_ right?" Dean growled distastefully, clearly picturing his new foe. With the exception of Brent it was no exaggeration to say he had loathed every Wisconsin man he had met, "More like fuckin' Tom Hanks from _Big_."

I gasped,

"Oh my god, I _love_ that film. Think we can Netflix it when we get back?"

In response to my excitement, Dean chuckled fondly and tipped our hands over so he could stroke my wrist again. It was sweet that he seemed to want to always be touching me and even better in the sense that I couldn't get enough.

I was lucky, so, _so_ lucky which was confirmed even further by Dean's dimple-framed answer,

"Whatever you want."

That would do for me.

We drove the rest of the short distance home again blasting out classic rock as high as it would go. It seemed to make Dean grin like a child to disrupt the quiet neighbourhood with Black Sabbath and _Layla_ to name a few. Luckily however, as he pulled into my road again, he quickly turned it down to spare Lucy I assumed.

We made it into the house in a pretty respectful fashion, but the second the door was shut Dean hooked me around the waist, spinning me back and into his body before circling his arms and dropping down his head. He nipped at my neck and I gasped in wonder as he murmured across my skin in guttural tones,

"Gonna show you how a _real_ fuckin' man treats a woman."

"Oh, shall I call Roman?"

"Funny," he growled, "C' 'mere."

He tilted my body until my head rolled back against him and then pressed his lips to mine in a kiss. It was deep and loving and powerful and glorious and I hummed into his mouth in a happy little note.

" _Mmmm_."

Why would Elliott think I could give Dean up? How could he think I would need anybody else? I was stupid with love and trust and plain old happiness and it was times like these when I felt it the most. I wanted to share my life with Dean – _all_ of it – which made me suddenly stop as I thought of something else,

"Um, Dean?"

"What's wrong Princess?"

"Can we – I mean – there's something I want to do first. Is that okay?"

He pulled his head away from me and looked down for a second, drinking in my questioning gaze. Seeing that I was serious he loosened his arms slightly and nodded easily,

"Sure."

"Come with me."

Taking his hand, I led him down the hallway and then straight past my room, which caught him by surprise. Instead we stopped outside the room which hadn't been opened since I'd cried my eyes out in it a few days before.

Knowing what was in there, Dean pulled back a little and eyed me steadily,

"Princess?"

"It's okay, I'm fine,"

Then before I could change my mind or start to wobble, I twisted the handle and pulled him inside. The wave of her perfume hit me immediately and made my throat close up as a lump rose from my chest. But there was something else too, a sort of _lighter_ feeling and so as Dean stood beside me, not sure what was happening, I shrugged a little and spoke out loud,

"Mom, this is Dean, he's – well – he's my boyfriend. Dean? I'd like you to _kinda_ meet my mom."

For a second we simply stood there in silence and I blushed as I wondered if I'd pushed it too far. I mean, I'd dragged him into my late mother's bedroom to formally introduce them. He probably thought I was mad. In hindsight it would have been much more normal to take him to the graveyard to say _hello_ there, but I'd just never really felt that was where _she_ was.

She was there though.

She was at home.

Which was why it meant so much.

Fortunately Dean seemed to catch on quickly and cleared his throat before waving mildly into the empty space,

"Hey mom."

 _Mom._

Not _Pamela_ or _Mrs. Hope_ or _Ma'am_ but _mom_ like she'd been part of his family all along. Of course, in order for _her_ to be family _I_ had to be his family as well and the realization of what he was implying – of what he was saying – made me tear up. Stretching right up onto my tiptoes, I gave him a chaste little peck on the lips, feeling his hands move to steady my hipbones as the blue eyes gazed down at me.

 _Ugh_.

My mom would have utterly loved him as well.

"She says – uh – you can have a look around if you want to."

Dean raised a brow at me,

"Oh _does_ she now?"

"Uh huh," I nodded, "I mean it. Ask anything. This is your house now as well."

It seemed only fitting to throw that line out there considering he'd done the same thing for me. His house in Vegas had essentially been his kingdom but he had accepted me into it pretty much instantly. The least I could do was extend the same courtesy, besides which, I _wanted_ to share it with him.

Licking his lips a little in nervousness, Dean stepped away from me and into the room. In response, I flopped down onto my mother's homemade comforter and absently traced my fingers through the loops. Dean moved across to the dresser by the window and tentatively picked up a small wooden frame,

"This her?" he asked gently, pointing towards it and I nodded and drew my feet up like a kid,

"Uh huh, that's her and my grandmother, Ruby. But I mean, she died when I was still really small. I only remember these _snatches_ about her, like the fact she curled her hair and carried mints in her purse. She had this perfume she always used to wear too, a kind of old really strong sort of one. We had an old coat of hers hung up in the cupboard and it smelt like it for _years_. It doesn't now though. My grandmother was the first woman in our family to go to college. My mom always said she was kind of a pioneer."

"Sounds like your mom took after her that way."

As Dean put the picture down, I quirked my head at him curiously,

"You think so?"

He shrugged back,

"Sure, why not? I mean, she raised you single handed, kept a nice house here, put food on the table, clothes on your back. That's more than a lot of folks do for their rugrats."

He meant his own mother but I didn't acknowledge it, knowing him just _mentioning_ it was proof enough he trusted me. One day I was sure that he would completely open up to me, but for the time being, drip-feeding was a pretty good start.

"You know," I smiled instead, "If she really _was_ here, you'd have totally just won her over with that."

Dean shrugged,

"It's fuckin' true, Hope gals are feisty."

" _Hmm_ ," I frowned at the comforter, "I'm not."

Dean reacted in shades of disbelief,

"Are you fuckin' _kiddin'_ me? You _just_ got done with punching a guy. You got in the ring with _Bray Wyatt_ and slapped his face. Princess, you're more ballsy than any girl I've ever been with."

"But I'm terrified every time."

"So?" he shrugged back, "That's what _makes_ you ballsy. Don't you get it? You do this shit even though you're fuckin' scared."

I shook my head at him,

"I don't know, I always feel pretty kind of _stupid_ when I'm doing it."

"Yeah well, most gutsy things _are_ kinda stupid. Never stopped me though."

"Is there anything that does?"

In response to my teasing he cheekily poked his tongue out, making me giggle with how gorgeous he looked. He was hamming it up to get a smile out of me and the fact that it had worked made him light up even more.

Turning back, he continued to move along the dresser, stopping when he came to a little leather box,

"Hey, what's this?"

He opened it slowly as the old hinges grumbled and then blinked down into it, looking impressed. Inside was a single cameo earring – turn of the century if not thereabouts – oval shaped, with a delicate filigreed border which held a purple inlay topped by a face. It was an image in white of a woman in profile, with ringlets of hair curling straight down her back.

I didn't even need to see it to describe it but the thought of it was one hell of an emotional kick,

"Oh, that's – they're my mom's favorite earrings. A family heirloom kind of thing. My Grandma Ruby gave them to my mom when she turned thirty and she got them from _her_ mother, you know how it is. Mom wanted me to have them and continue the tradition after she – well – after she _passed away_."

"So, why is only one of them in here?"

It was a perfectly valid question.

I took a deep breath.

"Mom wore them when we went out together one day and – I mean, they're old – so I guess the clasp just broke and she lost one of them. It must have kinda _dropped out_. She didn't realize until a couple of hours later and by then it was basically already too late. We went back and looked and left our address in all the stores and stuff but no one ever handed it in. She was so upset – ,"

I broke away suddenly, my voice becoming croaky as I quickly and quietly cleared my throat. When I looked up again, Dean was peering at me, his brows pulled together in evident concern,

"Princess?"

I sniffed unconvincingly,

"I – I'm okay. Besides, I guess it might still turn up _someday_ , stranger things have happened right?"

Giving the lone earring one last look, Dean nodded encouraging and snapped the case shut, putting it carefully back down on the dresser and giving me a resolute frown,

"Sure they have. All the time. I mean, gettin' fuckin' Ryback in and out of a unitard. That's a stranger thing that happens every _day_."

He had a point,

"Big Show?"

"Him too," he grinned a little then held something up to me, scowling in confusion, "What the hell's _this_?"

It was flat, sort of rounded and – from the way he held it – heavy, not to mention painted shades of red and black,

"Oh, that's a ladybug created from a rock. I made it for my mom when I was a kid."

Dean peered down at it like he was appraising some artwork, then his gaze flickered upwards to match the grimace on his face,

"Yeah, I hate to break it to you Princess, but that's _not_ a ladybug."

"What?" I blinked, "Yes it is."

"Lauren, it doesn't have legs or eyes _or_ any fuckin' _spots_ – it's just a red and black stone."

"Um, for your information," I shot back hotly, "I was six when I made it and it _did_ have spots. They were paper ones, they just kind of _fell off_ after. _Plus_ I drew her eyes in black, so they're there but you can't really see them, that's all."

"Arts and crafts isn't your thing really, is it?"

I gaped at him in outrage,

"That's it, put Dottie down."

"You _named_ it?"

"Of course we did. Look at her, she's adorable."

"Lauren," Dean snorted, grinning wickedly, "She's really not."

For a second I simply glared across the space at him, then I suddenly quirked my head to one side. Gazing up at the ceiling I frowned just a little before nodding,

"I agree mom, he really _is_ an ass."

Dean shook his head and smiled.

Oh god, _dimples_.

"Actually she said she _likes_ my ass."

"Really?" I intoned, folding my arms purposefully, "So you think _you_ can hear her now too?"

"Come on," he grinned, "Ladies love this cute butt. Go ahead and deny it."

"I plead the fifth."

"That's as good as admittin' it Princess."

I faltered a little, then laughed out loud as he started to rock _said ass_ up and down, wiggling it temptingly under the material of the pants that gathered beneath his pert little butt cheeks and hung off his hips and –

"Okay, _okay_. I give up, it's a nice ass and I gotta say it looks _especially_ good when it's moving around like that in those jeans."

Dean threw a wink at me, mercilessly teasing,

"Steady Princess, not in front of your mom," then he glanced up at the ceiling apologetically, mirroring me from moments before, "Sorry about her, she's kinda _wild_ sexually. Wears me out to tell ya' the truth – ,"

" _Dean_ ," I hissed, watching him grin again before crossing towards me and putting out his hand. I took it and let him pull me from the comforter then sweep in behind me to wrap me in his arms. He dropped a kiss down onto my neckline and drew in a breath as I essentially _melted_ back against his chest. I didn't even realize he was still studying the bedroom until he coughed a little,

"So hey, you wanna take this any of this stuff?"

I hummed in contentment,

" _Hmmm_? Take it where?"

"When we go home, is there anything you need? Is there anything you wanna have over in Vegas?"

To be honest, the offer came as something of a surprise to me and I blinked in astonishment, then opened and shut my mouth.

"You really – you really want to have all my stuff there?"

Dean shrugged from above me, then pecked me on the cheek, as casually as if he was discussing the weather instead of what was essentially, _officially_ moving in.

"It's your house too Princess – I kinda thought you knew that. Besides, it's not like I actually own much of anything. Might be kinda nice to have some _homey_ -type stuff. Quilts and pictures and _cushions_ or whatever. I want you feel like you belong there as well."

Instead of an answer – or a spoken one anyway – I spun and launched myself into his arms, throwing myself with such sudden force against him that his legs hit the mattress and we toppled backwards onto the bed,

" _Whoa_."

Wiggling up his body until the two of us were facing – my fingers on his cheeks and his hands on my hips – I kissed him sweetly, biting his lip a little and listening as he rumbled a blissful note of his own. Brushing my thumbs lightly over his jawline, I pressed our heads together and gazed down, whispering back at him, happy beyond belief,

"I already do feel like I belong there," I kissed him again, then smiled, "Thank you."

In response, Dean patted my ass very lightly, in a loving but also sort of chivvying pat. It was the type of tap that you would give a dawdling child who was heading up for bed, or to brush their teeth or have a bath. In essence, it was a sign of affection and I adored that.

In short and put simply, I adored _him_.

Nor – thank goodness – were the feelings one sided, as he lifted his head up and murmured right back,

"Not a problem. I love you, remember?"

My smile was ear to ear,

"Love you even more."

I meant it.

I loved Dean with everything in me and everything I was ever likely to have. I loved that he had come with me to my hometown, that he had made an effort to get on with my best friend. I loved the fact that he was always concerned about me, I loved that he had punched my ex-boyfriend in the face. But most of all I loved that I could stand in my mother's bedroom and talk to the ceiling and have him actually _join in_.

The tingling sensation that I got from being near him was starting to build up strongly again, shivering across my ribcage and down through my system until it found its way to the spot between my legs. In that moment, I wanted him – wanted him _badly_ – and so I quickly squirmed off him and grabbed up his hand. He came up off the bed and followed me willingly, but there was a look on his face of both confusion and intrigue,

"Princess? Uh, where we goin' now?"

"My room," I answered abruptly and he grinned, falling into step directly behind me and planting his hands on either side of my hips,

"Oh yeah? You got somethin' in there you need to show me?"

"Uh huh," I nodded back, "Kind of _urgently_."

"Oh my dirty girl," he growled back at me, bending in close to nip at my ear,

"Dean."

I squeaked and then dragged him over the threshold, ruminating on our visit as I hauled him towards my room.

I had known before I'd got there that the trip would be difficult. There were so many different memories, both good and bad. But in having Dean there, I'd had an epiphany. I _was_ different person than I had been before. I was stronger, more stable and ten times happier.

I had a new life and that was all down to him.

It made me want to get to my room faster, although as I pulled him out through the doorway, he stopped on the threshold to glance up at the ceiling and not only was he grinning but he threw in a cheeky wink,

"Told you she was rabid."

"Oh you have _no_ idea."

"Bring it on baby," he snorted, stepping after me and taking the short brisk walk to my room, "Bring it on. Can take whatever it is you wanna throw at me, told ya' before Princess – never lettin' you go."

* * *

 **And we're done here! Well, for this one anyway, although I hope I'll see you all back next Wednesday for part four in this crazy little Lauren and Dean world. If you like them being cute together then it's a must.**

 **But until then a big old THANK YOU and goodnight!**


	11. Sequel Update

**Oops, totally forgot to do this, still better late than never, right?!**

 **Just to say the next story in this arc is now up (and almost halfway through) it's called 'Look After You,' and if you like Dean being sweet and taking care of our girl then you're in luck because that's exactly what happens.**

 **Thanks again for reading everyone, you're all wonderful people!**


End file.
